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The Marvellous Adventures of Pinocchio 


The “Every Child Should Know*’ Books 


Poems Every Child Should Know 

Edited by Mary E. Burt 

Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know 

Edited by H. W. Mabie 

Myths Every Child Should Know 

Edited by H. W. Mabie 

Songs Every Child Should Know 

Edited by Dolores Bacon 

Legends Every Child Should Know 

Edited by H. W. Mabie 

Heroes Every Child Should Know 

Edited by H. W. Mabie 

Birds Every Child Should Know 

By Neltje Blanchan 

Water Wonders Every Child Should Know 

By Jean M. Thompson 

Famous Stories Every Child Should Know 

Edited by H. W. Mabie 

Hymns Every Child Should Know 

Edited by Dolores Bacon 

Heroines Every Child Should Know 

Co-edited by H. W. Mabie and Kate Stephens 

Essays Every Child Should Know 

Edited by H. W. Mabie 

Prose Every Child Should Know 

Edited by Mary E. Burt 

Pictures Every Child Should Know 

By Dolores Bacon 

Wild Flowers Every Child Should Know 

By Frederic William Stack 







^ 57 ^ felt the pulse of ^Ptnocchto^ 

:o 




after that, his little toe 




1 1 If 

1 

3 1 




ADVENTURES EVERY 
CHILD SHOULD KNOW 


THE MARVELLOUS ADVENTURES OF 
PINOCCHIO, BY CARLO LORENZINI 

I) 

EDITED BY MARY E. BURT 

> 

From an original translation by 


AUGUSTUS G. CAPRANI 

Illustrated and decor aied by Emily Hall Chamberlin 




New York 

Doubleday, Page & Company 
1909 


I 



‘ 4 , 


ALL SIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION 
INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN 


COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY, I909 


UBRAflY of CONGItESS 
Two Cooies Rt'cewed 

fEB 5 1909 

CLftSS XXc, No, 

COPY 


“once upon a time” 

THERE WAS A BOY 

AND THERE WERE A HUNDRED THOUSAND BOYS 
JUST LIKE HIM. 

HE HAD NO EARS. HE STUCK PINS IN CHAIRS. 

HE KEPT FIRE-CRACKERS IN HIS DESK. 

HE SENT COMIC VALENTINES. 

, HE “counted without THE FAIRY.” 

HE WAS JUST A PUPPET. 

YOUNG MAN, YOU ARE GROWN UP NOW. 

YOU WILL TAKE THIS BOOK TO YOUR ROOM 
AND LAUGH OVER IT. 

PRESENTLY YOU WILL SHED A TEAR AND SAY: 
“l USED TO ACT LIKE PINOCCHIO; 
wasn't I FUNNY WHEN X WAS A PUPPET?” 



HKR MAJESTY QUEEN MARGHERITA OF EAVOY , 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

The Author of Pinocchio xiii 

Preface xvii 

I. How it happened that Mr. Cherry, the 
carpenter, found a piece of wood which 
laughed and cried like a baby ... 3 

II. Mr. Cherry gives the piece of wood to his 
friend, Gepetto, who takes the present 
gladly and makes for himself a marvel- 
lous puppet that can dance, fence, and 
turn somersaults 7 

III. Gepetto, having returned home, begins at 

once to manufacture the puppet, and he 
calls it Pinocchio. The first rogueries 
of the puppet 12 

IV. The adventure of Pinocchio with the 

Speaking Cricket, where it is seen that 
bad boys dislike to be corrected by one 
who knows better than themselves . . 18 

V. Pinocchio is hungry, and, finding an egg, 
proceeds to make himself an omelet; but 
when it is almost ready the omelet flies 
out of the window 22 

VI. Pinocchio falls asleep with his feet on the 
stove and wakes up to find them burnt 

oflF 26 

VII. Gepetto returns home and gives the puppet 
the breakfast which the poor man had 

bought for himself 29 

yii 


viii T he Marvellous 

CHAPTER PAGE 

VIII. Gepetto makes another pair of feet for 
Pinocchio and sells his own overcoat to 

buy him an A B C book 34 

IX. Pinocchio sells the ABC book that he may 

see the theatre of the puppets ... 38 

X. The puppets recognise their brother, 
Pinocchio, and give him a festive wel- 
come 42 

XI. The showman, whose name was Fire Eater, 

sneezes and forgives Pinocchio, who 
saves his friend, Harlequin, from death. 46 

XII. Fire Eater makes a present of five gold 

coins to Pinocchio and tells him to take 
them to his father. But Pinocchio 
allows himself to be deceived and led 
away by the Fox and the Cat ... 51 

XIII. At the Inn of the Red Lobster 58 

XIV. Pinocchio meets with the Assassins . . 63 

XV. The Assassins hang Pinocchio on the 

branch of the Grand Oak tree ... 68 

XVI. The Beautiful Girl with the Blue Hair has 
the puppet taken down. She calls 

three doctors 72 

XVII. Pinocchio eats the sugar but will not 
take his medicine until he sees the grave- 
diggers who come to carry him off . 77 

XVIII. Pinocchio falls in with the Fox and the 

Cat 84 

XIX. Pinocchio, for being robbed, is punished 

by a four months’ imprisonment . . 91 

XX. Pinocchio, liberated from prison, starts on 

his way to the house of the Fairy. He 
meets a Serpent and gets into a trap . 96 


Adventures of Pinocchio ix 

CHAPfER PAGE 

XXI. Pinocchio is taken by a peasant who com- 
pels him to do service as a watch-dog . lOO 
XXII. Pinocchio discovers the robbers and is 
rewarded for his fidelity by being set at 

liberty 104 

XXIII. Pinocchio bewails the death of the Beauti- 
ful Girl with the Blue Hair. He finds 
a Pigeon which takes him to the sea- 

beach 109 

XXIV. Pinocchio arrives at the Island of the 
Industrious Bees and finds the Fairy 

again 117 

XXV. Pinocchio promises the Fairy to be good 
and to study because he is tired of being 
a puppet and wants to become a real 

boy 126 

XXVI. Pinocchio goes with his schoolmates to 

the seashore to see the Terrible Shark 13 1 

XXVH. Pinocchio fights in self-defence and has an 

adventure with Policemen 135 

XXVHI. Pinocchio escapes the frying pan. . . . 145 

XXIX. Pinocchio returns to the Fairy 153 

XXX. Pinocchio starts for the Land of Play- 
things 163 

XXXI. After five months in the Land of Play- 
things, Pinocchio finds a pair of ears 
sprouting from his head and he turns 

into a little donkey 171 

XXXI 1 . Pinocchio becomes a trick donkey . . i8o 

XXXIII. Pinocchio is bought by the director of a 
company of clowns, who teaches him 
to dance and jump through hoops. He 
becomes lame and is sold for his hide . 188 


X Adventures of Pinocchio 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XXXIV. Pinocchio escapes from the donkey’s hide 
which is eaten off by the fishes. He has 
a new adventure with the Terrible 

Shark 199 

XXXV. In the body of the Shark, Pinocchio finds 

some one in search of him 210 

XXXVI. Pinocchio becomes a real boy . . . . 219 

Notes and suggestions for mothers and 
teachers 235 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


He felt the pulse of Pinocchio, then ex- 
amined his nose, and after that, his 
little toe .... FRONTISPIECE 

PAGE 

Gepetto took the stick of wood 

and . . . returned home limping . lo* 

A deluge of water came down on him . 26 

And they danced till morning . . 50^ 

He heard another peal of laughter more 

impertinent than the first . . . 92 ^ 

Away flew the pigeon, up and up until he 

nearly reached the clouds . . . 114 

He was so ugly that he seemed to be a 

monster of the sea . . . . 148 ^ 

Permit me to give you a kiss, Mr. Tunny- 

fish! ...... 220 y' 















CARLO LORENZINI 


THE AUTHOR OF PINOCCHIO 

Carlo Lorenzini, who wrote under the pen-name of 
“Carlo Collodi,” was born in Florence, Italy, on the 24th [of 
November, 1826. He was the son of Domenico Lorenzini 
of Cortona, and Angelina Orzali, of Collodi, in the Valley 
of Nievole, Tuscany. 

When a youth of fourteen he studied in the Semi- 
nary of VaFd’Elsa, a college for the training of priests. 
After three years he returned to Florence and completed his 
studies at the School of Padri Scolopi. 

When the war of 1848 was declared, he enlisted as a 
volunteer in the Tuscan Legion. After a memorable defeat 
he returned to Florence in the same year, and began to pub- 
lish a humorous paper, the Lantern, and soon gained a high 
reputation as a journalist. In May, 1849, publishing of 
the Lantern was prohibited by order of the Government, 
together with that of other newspapers which were believed 
to be dangerous to the political rule then established. 

In 1853 Lorenzini was invitedjby Lanari agent of the 
Royal Theatre, to give life to a periodical treating of every- 
thing in general, but more particularly of artists and theatres. 
In the course of one year this paper became so popular that 
the best Florentine writers joined the staff of editors, happy 
to associate their own work with the clever satire and humour 
of Lorenzini. 

In 1858 our author left this periodical and went to Milan 
xiii 


XIV 


The Marvellous 


to continue “The Mysteries of Florence/* a novel of which 
he had already published two volumes. A year later. 
Piedmont having declared war with Austria, he suddenly 
left Milan, after hurriedly taking leave of his friends, and 
started for Pinerolo, where he enlisted as volunteer in the 
regiment of Cavalry Lancers of Novara. There he found 
his old and dear friend, Luigi Suner, a distinguished literary 
man, still living. The war ended in i860 with the peace of 
Villafranca, when Lorenzini onte more gave life to the old 
Lantern in partnership with the famous artist Materelli 
Adolfo. The paper met with splendid success, and Lorenzini 
articles were read with pleasure everywhere. It was during 
this time that the Minister of the Provisional Government 
asked our author to answer at once an impertinent 
pamphlet written by a man named Alberi, who had said 
that if Piedmont had not sent agents to misrepresent matters 
and mislead the people of Central Italy, their princes 
would never have been dethroned and would never have 
known that Victor Emanuel II. reigned in Sardinia. 

Upon this invitation Lorenzini replied with a pamphlet 
entitled “Mr. Alberi Is Right,’* and he acceded to all that 
Alberi asserted in such an amusing and ironical way that it 
caused much fun in public. It was with this small but 
powerful work that he ceased to sign Carlo Lorenzini, his 
own name, to his writings, and took the pen-name “Collodi,** 
as a compliment to his mother’s birthplace, where he had 
passed a great part of his youth. 

Shortly after this he was appointed Secretary of the 
Prefecture and entrusted with the task of theatrical 
censorship. He held this office for several years, continuing 
at the same time his journalistic work, writing for several 
papers and receiving high prices. 

The “History of a Puppet** proves him to have been not 
only a clever literary man, but an excellent educator also. 

This was so apparent, that when Martini retired from 


Adventures of Pinoechio 


XV 


the editorship of his journal, he offered the position of 
director to Collodi, and to induce him to accept it, settled 
upon him 3,000 francs (j?6oo) a year, with fifty francs 
additional for each one of his articles. 

In the course of his long literary life, Collodi wrote several 
humorous books for older people, also comedies; but 
when he was pensioned by the Government, on the 8th 
of June, 1881, he began to devote his time wholly to writing 
for children, thus completing his fame as a man of letters. 

Collodi published “Pinoechio** in 1883, and a Grammar in 
the same year. These were followed by an Arithmetic and 
a Geography and many school-books and story-books. 

■ Collodi died October 26, 1890. 

As soon as the death of this illustrious writer was known, 
the municipality of Pescia, interpreting the wish of the 
citizens, resolved in assembly to place a memorial tablet 
on the house of the Orzali family at Collodi, in remem- 
brance of Carlo Lorenzini, whose nom de plume had 
1 given fame to that modest little village. This tablet was 
unveiled eleven months later. It reads as follows: 

THIS HOUSE 

In which he spent the first years of his youth 
And to which he afterward hequently returned 
is commemorated to 

Carlo Horen^ni 

ILLUSTRIOUS JOURNALIST 

’ VOLUNTEER SOLDIER OF THE NATIONAL WARS 

I A WRITER, COURTEOUS, WITTY 

WELL DESERVING OF THE POPULAR INSTRUCTION 

Who under the Pseudonym of Collodi made 
The name of this region renowned 
The people of Collodi consenting and applauding 
The Municipality of Pescia 
here place this tablet 
R. P. 


Born the 2^h November 1826 
Died the 26th October 1890 


xvi Adventures of Pinocchio 

Following the example of the inhabitants of Pescia, a 
similar movement was projected in Florence to render 
‘‘Honour to Merit, and place a tablet on the house, No. 7 
Via Rondinelli, where Lorenzini lived and died, also to place 
a marble bust of our author in a common school which 
should be named after him.’* 

These praiseworthy intentions vanished little by little, 
and the committee separated without being able to bring 
their plans to a result. Several similar attempts sipce 
then have failed also. 

These few notes concerning Carlo Collodi have been 
gleaned from an elaborate translation by A. G. Caprani 
from the Carrier e di Firenze published in October, 1905. 
Those American children who are so fortunate as to visit 
Italy will doubtless seek out the house. No. 7 Via Rondinelli, 
Florence, and study for themselves the environments that 
could keep so charming a writer merry as well as strenuous. 

As for the common school which should have been named 
after Collodi, that is a serious matter. “ Mr. Alberi Is Right.” 
For if such a school is not named after Collodi, who was 
a school himself — yea, a whole system of schools — a man 
who could write “ Pinocchio ” and make a Geography and 
Grammar, and use good language, who knows but the honour 
may be conferred on someone who does not deserve it ? 

Stand up to your guns, O ye Florentines, and give us a 
Collodi School before some shrewd American comes over 
and tacks his own name on to one! 

But “What good will the monument do ?” Is “Pinocchio” 
a school “reader” in every school in Italy.? In trying to 
gather a few biographical notes from Italians in America 
I have become well aware that the masses of [children in 
Italian schools are not using as a school reader the match- 
less story “Pinocchio,” the greatest classic for teaching 
young people the art of self-government ever written. 


PREFACE 


While travelling in Italy in 1902 , 1 found the 
book, Pinocchio, in Naples. I was told that 
many hundred thousand copies of it had been 
sold in Italy and that it was regarded as the 
greatest Italian juvenile ever written. I had 
never seen the book before and I presume 
that no English translation of the story had 
been made in America although one existed 
in England, I was told, made by some English 
scholar. When I came to the city of Florence, 
I went to the publishers who agreed to sell 
me the right to bring out a translation in 
America, and so this book is not pirated. 

Pinocchio, like ‘‘Alice in Wonderland,” or 
“Robinson Crusoe,” or “Rikki-tikki-tavi,” 
or “Howell’s Pony Engine,” or “Gulliver’s 
Travels,” is an immortal, a classic, a land- 
mark in the world of letters. It is a child’s 
book, a teacher’s book, a parents’ assistant, 
a guide to common sense, a book of fun, a 
serious book, a fairy-tale, a treatise on ethics. 

It is a history of all “dull” boys, boys who 

xvii 


xviil The Marvellous 

are so full of themselves that they have no 
ears for truth and reason. Such boys can- 
not take the evidence of their own senses but 
if they are put in the frying-pan on Monday 
offer themselves for the broiler on Tuesday. 

Gepetto is a typical father, ready to sell 
his coat to provide a book for the little rascal 
who has landed him in prison. The Fairy 
is a typical mamma, who forgives and for- 
gets and never loses faith and never fails in 
love. 

The book is an allegory, and an incentive 
to action and thought, a guide to self-control, 
self-government, self-determination. 

Pinocchio is a story to incite self-activity, 
‘The propagation of brain.’’ 

The Caprani translation, from which I have 
edited this volume, was brought to me from 
my translator, A. G. Caprani, by the American 
consul at Naples late in the spring of 1904. 
Before my editing was wholly completed, an 
American publisher sent me a newly published 
little book of the story which I put into gener- 
ous circulation at once. I am well aware that 
the two translations differ, as, for instance, where 
the Caprani translation shows the little blue 
carriage to be lined or furnished with whipped 


Adventures of Pinocchto xix 

cream and cakes, as the author intended; while 
the other translation lines the carriage with 
cream-colored cloth. 

When I presented this story to a class of 
young boys they were carried by the fun in it, 
asked to have the reading continued, were 
willing to leave games to listen to it, said 
‘‘thank you” with fervency for any short 
session with it, wrote compositions of marvel- 
lous adventures of some Pinocchio of their 
own imaginations. One boy gave a fanciful 
account of Pinocchio in a well-known New 
York candy factory, and another made a com- 
position of Pinocchio in America on a railroad 
train. 

The story creates interest in the nursery. 
Little Johnnie, aged two and a half, carried 
“Nokie” around with him and held it for 
“Babe Brudder” to see the pictures. Six- 
year-old Golden Hair taught himself to read 
from it, having first heard it read by his 
governess. “Stefania, at the age of eleven, 
had not read a book but when she began read- 
ing Pinocchio she did not leave it until she 
got to the end of it, delaying her meals for it.” 
One of our most celebrated novelists sent the 
story to Betty, aged four, and wrote to her 


XX Adventures of Ptnocchio 

mother: ‘‘Tell Betty to read Pinocchio very 
carefully or she will miss some of the quaint 
humour in it.’’ 

A specialist in reading in a large normal 
school says: “It is the best possible story for 
the third year grade. It is valuable because 
it is easy reading and because it creates so 
much innocent merriment among the children. 
Reading for children is apt to be too sombre, 
too technical, too charged with sawdust, 
not vitalised.” 

“Once upon a time,” when I was a child, 
I found a gold pen in a valuable jewelled pen- 
holder. Not supposing it to have any value 
at first I took it for a plaything. But some 
one seeing me playing with it said: “I saw 
a learned judge hunting for his gold pen.” 
It did not take me long to restore the jewel 
to its owner. 

Go little book, valuable jewel from a great 
pen; hie thee to the judge, the masses of 
children to whom thou art and must forever 
be a treasure. 

Mary E. Burt. 

Westchester, Conn., July, igo8. 


The Marvellous Adventures of Pinocchio 













The Marvellous Adventures 
of Pinocchio 


CHAPTER I 


HOW IT HAPPENED THAT MR. CHERRY, THE CAR- 
PENTER, FOUND A PIECE OF WOOD WHICH 
LAUGHED AND CRIED LIKE A BABY 

O NCE upon a time there was — 

“A king!” all of my little readers 

will say. 

No, children, it was not a king. It was just 
a piece of wood. 

It was not fine and beautiful but a common 
stick from a wood pile — such a stick as you 
put in the stove or fireplace to kindle the fire 
and warm the room. 

I do not know how it happened, but one 
bright day this piece of wood turned up in 
the workshop of Antonio, an old carpenter 
who was called Mr. Cherry because the end 
of his nose looked like a ripe cherry, it was 
always so purple and shiny. 

3 


4 


The Marvellous 


As soon as Mr. Cherry saw this stick of wood 
he rejoiced and rubbed his hands for the 

gladness he felt while he muttered in a low 

voice : 

“This wood has come at the right time. 
I will use it for the leg of a small table.” 

So said, so done. He at once took a sharp 
axe to begin to take off the bark and to chip 
the wood; but when he was about to use 

the tool he heard a thin little voice cry out 

entreatingly: 

‘‘Do not strike me too hard!” 

The carpenter did not strike. His arm 
remained in the air with the axe raised. 

You can imagine the surprise of good old 
Mr. Cherry. He turned his eyes in amaze- 
ment around the room to see whence that 
little voice could have come. But he did 
not see any one. He looked under the work- 
table and saw no one. He looked inside a 
cupboard that had always been kept closed 
but saw nobody. He examined the basket 
of chips and sawdust, and nobody. He 
opened the shop door to take a glance down 
the street, and nobody. What then ? 

He laughed to himself and scratching his 
wig said: 


Adventures of Pinocchu 


5 


“I know! I know! That little voice is just 
a fancy of mine. I will go on working.” So 
he took up the axe and struck an unmerciful 
blow on the wood. 

“Oh! oh! You have made me ill!” cried 
the same little voice, and it moaned with pain. 

This time Mr. Cherry stood aghast, his 
eyes protruding from his head with fright, 
his mouth wide open and his tongue hanging 
out like the tongue from a big fountain mask. 

As soon as he could speak he said, trembling 
and stuttering with terror: 

“Where does that little voice come from 
that says ‘Oh! oh! ' There is not a live 
soul in this room. Is it possible that this 
piece of wood has learned to cry and com- 
plain like a baby ? It does not seem possible. 
Here it is, the piece of wood. It is only a 
stick of firewood, like all the others, and if 
put on the fire it will make the pot of beans 
boil. What then .? Can there be anybody 
hidden inside } If some one is hidden in it 
so much the worse for him. I 'll fix him!” 

And so saying, he seized with both hands 
that poor piece of wood and began without 
mercy to dash it against the wall of the room. 
Then he stood still and listened to hear if 


6 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


the little voice would lament. He waited two 
minutes and heard nothing; five minutes, and 
nothing; ten minutes, and nothing. i 

“I see! I see!’’ he said, making an effort i 
to laugh, and ruffling his wig. “This little 
voice comes from my imagination. Let me ' 
resume work.” 

I 

And because a great fear had taken posses- i 
sion of him he tried to hum a tune to keep j 
up his courage. j 

And now, laying the axe aside, he took a ■ 
plane in hand to smooth the piece of wood * 
and bring it to a polish; but while he was 
planing it up and down he heard the same 
little voice say to him with a laugh; > 

“Stop! you tickle me!” 

This time poor Mr. Cherry fell down thunder- 
struck. When he opened his eyes he found 
himself sitting on the ground. His face 
seemed curiously changed, and even the point 
of his nose, instead of purple had become 
blue through fright. 


CHAPTER II 


MR. CHERRY GIVES THE PIECE OF WOOD TO 
HIS FRIEND, GEPETTO, WHO TAKES THE 
PRESENT GLADLY AND MAKES FOR HIM- 
SELF A MARVELLOUS PUPPET THAT CAN 
DANCE, FENCE, AND TURN SOMERSAULTS 

A t this instant there came a knock at 
the door. 

“Come in,’’ said the carpenter who had not 
the strength to raise himself from the floor. 

A little old man frisked into the shop. His 
name was Gepetto but the rude boys of the 
neighbourhood, when they wanted to tease 
him, called him Polendina, on account of 
his yellow wig which resembled a pudding 
of yellow corn-meal. On such occasions 
Gepetto was very wrathy. Woe to him who 
called out “Polendina!” 

“Good morning. Master Antonio,” said 
Gepetto; “what are you doing there on the 
ground ?” 

“I am teaching arithmetic to the ants.” 
“May it do you much good,” said Gepetto. 

7 


The Marvellous 


“What has brought you here, friend 
Ge petto ?” 

“My legs, Master Antonio. I came to ask 
a favour of you.’’ 

“Here I am, ready to serve you,” answered 
the carpenter, lifting himself on his knees. 

“This morning an idea came into my head,” 
said Gepetto. 

“Let us hear it.” 

“I have thought of making for myself a 
pretty puppet of wood, a marvellous puppet 
that can dance, fence, and turn somersaults. 
With this puppet I want to travel about the 
world to earn my living. What do you say to 
that?” 

“Clever Polendina!” cried the little voice. 

On hearing himself called Polendina, Ge- 
petto became as red as a pepper with anger. 
He turned toward the carpenter and said sav- 
agely: 

“Why do you insult me?” 

“Insult you!” exclaimed Antonio. 

“You called me Polendina!” 

“Not I!” 

“Oh yes, it was you!” 

“No!” 

“Yes!” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


9 


‘‘No!’’ 

“Yes!” 

And growing more and more angry they 
passed from words to acts, and taking hold 
of each other shook and clawed one another. 

When the fight was ended, Master Antonio 
found in his hands the yellow wig of Gepetto, 
and Gepetto became aware that he had the 
gray wig of the carpenter between his teeth. 

“Give me back my wig!” cried Master 
Antonio. 

“And you give me mine and let us make 
peace.” 

The two old fellows, after each had taken 
back his own wig, shook hands and pledged 
themselves to remain good friends the rest 
of their lives. 

“And now, friend Gepetto,” said the car- 
penter, “what is that favour which you want 
from me V* 

“I need a piece of wood with which to make 
my puppet. Will you give it me?” 

Master Antonio very gladly went at once 
to take from his bench the piece of wood 
that had been to him the cause of so many 
fears. But when he was about to hand it to 
his friend, the piece of wood gave a kick and 


10 


The Marvellous 


sliding from his hands struck violently the 
bony shins of poor Gepetto. 

‘‘Oh! you have a polite way of giving pres- 
ents, Master Antonio,” said Gepetto. “You 
have almost lamed me.” 

“I swear to you that it was not I.” 

“Then I suppose I did it myself.” 

“The fault is in the wood.” 

“Yes, I know the wood is wood. But it 
was you who threw it at my legs.” 

“I did not throw it at you.” 

“Scoundrel!” 

“Gepetto, do not offend me or I shall call 
you Polendina.” 

“Donkey!” 

“Polendina!” 

“Monkey!” 

“Polendina!” 

“Ugly, big monkey!” 

“Polendina!” 

On hearing himself called Polendina for 
the third time, Gepetto lost his temper and 
flung himself at the carpenter and they 
thrashed each other thoroughly. 

After the battle. Master Antonio found 
his nose scratched and Gepetto had lost two 
buttons from his coat. 



epetto tooK. the sticK. of toood 
and • . . . returned 

^ ^ ^ home limping 





Adventures of Pinocchio 


II 


Having thus squared accounts, they shook 
hands once more and swore to remain good 
friends the rest of their lives. 

Then Gepetto took the stick of wood and 
thanking Master Antonio, returned home 
limping. 


CHAPTER III 


GEPPETO, HAVING RETURNED HOME, BEGINS 
AT ONCE TO MANUFACTURE THE PUPPET, 
AND HE CALLS IT PINOCCHIO. THE FIRST 
ROGUERIES OF THE PUPPET 

HE abode of Gepetto was a small room 



X on the ground .floor, which received 
light from an opening under the staircase. The 
furniture could not have been more simple: 
a dilapidated chair, a poor bed, and a damaged 
table. There was a fireplace in the back 
wall. In the -fireplace there was a fire burning 
but the fire was painted; and beside the fire 
was also painted a broth-pot gaily boiling, 
from which a cloud came that seemed like 
real steam. 

As soon as he was in the house Gepetto 
took up his tools and began to carve the wood 
and make a puppet. 

‘‘What name shall I give it?’’ said he to 
himself. “I want to call it Pinocchio. This 
name will bring him good luck. I have 
known a whole family by the name of Pinocchio. 


Adventures of Ptnocchio 13 

There were Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia the 
mother, and several little boys called Pinocchio, 
and all fared well. The richest among them 
used to beg.” 

After he had found the name for his puppet, 
Gepetto began to work in earnest. He made 
the hair and then the forehead and then the 
eyes. 

Fancy his astonishment when he became 
aware that the eyes moved and stared at him. 

Gepetto, on seeing himself stared at by those 
wooden eyes, said in a sharp tone : 

“Wicked wooden eyes, why do you stare 
at me ?” 

No one answered. 

After the eyes he made the nose, which, as 
soon as it was made began to grow. And it 
grew, grew, grew, and in a few minutes it 
became a nose of never ending length. 

Poor Gepetto strove to recut it, but the more 
he chipped and shortened it the longer that 
impertinent nose became. 

After the nose he made the mouth. The 
mouth was not quite finished when it began to 
laugh and to make fun of him. 

“Stop laughing!” said Gepetto hotly. But 
it was like talking to the wall. 


The Marvellous 


H 


\ 


“Stop laughing!” he said in a louder tone. 
Then the mouth stopped laughing but thrust 
out its tongue. ' 

Gepetto pretended to take no notice of this 
impudence and continued to work. After the 
mouth he made the chin, then the neck, then 
the shoulders, the stomach, the arms, and the 
hands. 

No sooner were the hands finished than 
Gepetto felt that his wig was being taken from ^ 
his head. He looked up and what did he see ? 

He saw his yellow wig in the hands of the puppet. 

‘‘ Pinocchio, give me back my wig at once!” , 
But Pinocchio instead of giving him his wig 
pulled it over his own head until he looked as if 
he were half smothered. 

At this insolent and mocking behaviour 
Gepetto became sad and melancholy, something ' 
that had never happened to him before in his I 
life. ; 

“You scamp of a son! you are not wholly 
made and yet you begin to show want of respect 
to your daddy. Bad boy! Bad boy!” | 

And he wiped away a tear. j 

There were yet the legs and feet to be made, j 
When Gepetto had finished making the feet, : 
he received a kick on the point of his nose. i 


Adventures of Ptnocchio 


15 


‘‘I deserve it/’ he said to himself. “I ought 
to have thought of that before. Now it is too 
late.” 

Then he gently took the little wooden boy 
under the arms and placed him on the floor 
to make him walk. 

The joints of Pinocchio’s legs were very stiff, 
and he could not move them, so Gepetto led him 
by the hand to teach him how to step forward. 

When the legs became limber, Pinocchio 
began to walk by himself and to run around 
the room, until, passing through the door, he 
jumped into the street and began to run 
away. 

Poor Gepetto gave chase, running as fast 
as he could, but he could not overtake him 
because that little rascal, Pinocchio, went by 
leaps and bounds like a rabbit, and striking his 
wooden feet on the pavement of the street, 
made a noise like twenty pairs of wooden shoes 
such as peasants wear.* 

“Catch him! Catch him!” howled Gepetto 
but the people that were in the street, seeing the 
wooden puppet run like a Barbary horse, stopped 

*In Italy the peasants wear wooden soles that have straw uppers 
across the toes. When the peasant lifts his foot the wooden sole 
falls down at the heel and he goes clapping along the street, making 
a loud noise. 


i6 


The Marvellous 


in astonishment to look at it and they laughed 
and laughed in a manner which you can hardly 
imagine. 

At last, luckily, a policeman came that way 
and hearing all the noise and believing that a 
colt had got away from its master, planted him- 
self courageously in the middle of the street 
determined to stop it and prevent greater 
damage. 

Pinocchio, seeing the policeman barring the 
way, tried to run between his legs, but this plan 
was not successful. 

The policeman, without moving, caught him 
by the nose (it was so long that it seemed like 
a handle made expressly for the policeman to 
catch hold of) and he handed Pinocchio over to 
Gepetto, who, by way of punishment, wanted to 
box his ears. But fancy Gepetto’s disappoint- 
ment! He could not find any ears to box; and 
do you know why ? Because in his haste to 
carve out the little wooden rascal he had for- 
gotten to give him any ears. 

Then Gepetto seized him by the back of the 
neck, and while he led him back, he said to 
Pinocchio with a threatening shake of the 
head, ‘‘When we get home we will settle our 
accounts!’' 


Adventures of Ptnocchio 17 

Pinocchio, on hearing this, threw himself on 
the ground and would not go another step, while 
the idlers and other curious people on the street 
formed a circle around them. 

One said one thing and one another. 

“Poor puppet!’’ said one, “he is quite right 
in not wanting to go home. Who knows how 
that rough man, Gepetto, might whip him.” 

And others added malignantly that although 
Gepetto seemed to be an honest man, he was a 
real tyrant with boys. “If that poor puppet is 
left in his hands he is quite capable of knocking 
it to pieces!” 

They said so much that at last the policeman 
gave Pinocchio his liberty and took that poor 
man, Gepetto, to prison, who, finding no words 
with which to defend himself, cried like a small 
calf, and on the way to the prison said sobbing: 

“Unlucky little child! And to think I took 
so much pains to make a perfect puppet! But 
it serves me right! I ought to have thought of 
it before!” 

What happened afterward is a very strange 
story. You could not imagine it and so I will 
tell it to you in the chapters which follow. 


CHAPTER IV 


THE ADVENTURE OF PINOCCHIO WITH THE 
SPEAKING CRICKET, WHERE IT IS SEEN THAT 
BAD BOYS DISLIKE TO BE CORRECTED BY 
ONE WHO KNOWS BETTER THAN THEM- 
SELVES 

ND now, children, let me tell you that 



while poor Gepetto was being conducted 
to prison through no fault of his own, that rogue, 
Pinocchio, freed from the clutches of the police- 
man, ran across the fields in order to get home 
more quickly and in his great haste jumped over 
high mounds, and hedges of blackthorn, and 
ditches full of water, precisely as a kid or 
rabbit does when chased by hunters. 

Having arrived at the house he found the 
street door half shut. He pushed it open and 
went in. As soon as he had bolted the door he 
threw himself sitting on the ground and gave a 
great sigh of relief. 

But his happiness did not last long because 
he heard some one in the room utter, ‘^Cri! 


Cril Cri!” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 19 

“Who is calling me ?” said Pinocchio, fright- 
ened. 

“It is I.” 

Pinocchio turned around and saw something 
which he took to be a grasshopper slowly creep- 
ing up the wall. 

“Who are you, Grasshopper.? Tell me.” 

“I am the Speaking Cricket and I have lived 
in this room more than a hundred years.” 

“But to-day this room is mine,” said the 
puppet, and if you wish to do me a real favour 
go away at once without even looking back.” 

“ I will not go away, ” replied the Cricket, 
“until I have told you a great truth.” 

“Tell it to me, then, and make haste.” 

“Woe to those children who rebel against their 
parents and who capriciously abandon the 
paternal home. They will never have good luck 
in this world, and sooner or later, will have to 
repent of it in bitterness.” 

“If it pleases you to sing that song. Cricket, 
do so,” said Pinocchio, “but I know that 
to-morrow at sunrise I shall run away, because if 
I stay here my fate will be that of all other boys. 
I shall be sent to school, and willingly or unwill- 
ingly, I shall be obliged to study; and I tell you 
in confidence I do not like to study. I mean to 


20 


The Marvellous 


amuse myself chasing butterflies and climbing 
trees to take little birds out of their nests/’ 

^‘Poor little dunce! Do you not know that 
by so doing you will make a donkey of yourself 
and when you are grown up everybody will 
make fun of you ?” 

“Be still, you ugly Cricket of ill omen!” cried 
Pinocchio. 

But the Cricket, which was patient and a 
philosopher, instead of resenting the imperti- 
nence continued in the same tone of voice: 

“ If you dislike going to school why not learn 
a trade so as to earn honestly a piece of bread ? ” 

“Shall I tell you my reason?” replied Pin- 
occhio impatiently, “among the trades of 
the world there is but one that is really suitable 
to me.” 

“And what is that trade ?” 

“That of eating, drinking, sleeping, and 
amusing myself and living the life of a vagabond 
from morning until night.” 

“Bear in mind,” said the Speaking Cricket 
with its usual coolness, “that all who go into that 
business end in the hospital or in prison.” 

“Take care, you ugly Cricket of ill omen. 
If I get into a rage, beware!” 

“Poor Pinocchio, I do really pity you!” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 21 

“Why do you pity me 

“Because you are a puppet, and, what is 
worse, you have a wooden head.” 

At these words Pinocchio jumped up in a 
fury and taking from the bench a wooden 
mallet, threw it at the Speaking Cricket. 

Perhaps he did not intend to strike it, but, 
unfortunately, the mallet caught the Cricket in 
the head so that the poor insect had only breath 
enough to utter, “Cri — cri — cri, ” and then 
it remained stiff and sticking to the wall. 


CHAPTER V 


PINOCCHIO IS HUNGRY, AND, FINDING AN EGG, 
PROCEEDS TO MAKE HIMSELF AN OMELET; 
BUT WHEN IT IS ALMOST READY THE OMELET 
FLIES OUT OF THE WINDOW 



ND now it began to be dark and Pinocchio, 


1 \. remembering that he had eaten nothing, 
felt a craving in his stomach which seemed 
like an appetite. The appetite of a boy comes 
quickly and in a few minutes becomes hunger 
and the hunger soon becomes like that of a wolf. 

Poor Pinocchio ran to the place where the 
broth-pot was boiling and tried to take off the 
lid to see what it contained when he found 
that the pot was painted on the wall. Fancy 
how surprised he was! His long nose became 
at least four fingers longer. 

Then he began to run around the room 
searching through all the drawers and recesses 
for a piece of bread, even a little bit of dry bread, 
a crust, a bone for a dog, a little mouldy Indian- 
corn pudding, a fish bone, a cherry pit, in fact 
anything that could be eaten. 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


23 


In the meantime his hunger increased. 
Pinocchio had no other relief but that of gaping 
and his yawns were so long that at times his 
mouth stretched as far as his ears. And after 
having yawned he felt his stomach sinking. 

Then weeping and despairing he said: 

“The Speaking Cricket was right. I did 
wrong in turning against my papa and in run- 
ning away from home. If my daddy were 
here now I should not find myself yawning to 
death.” 

But lo! now he fancied that he perceived in 
the sweepings something round and white that 
looked like a hen’s egg. In an instant he 
jumped at it. It was really an egg. 

You can imagine that the joy of the puppet 
was indescribable. Almost believing that it was 
a dream, he turned the egg around between his 
hands and felt it and kissed it, and kissing it 
said: 

“How shall I cook it.? Shall I make an 
omelet ? No, it is better to cook it on the plate! 
Or would it not be more tasty if I were to fry 
it in a pan ? Perhaps it would be better soft- 
boiled .? No, the quickest way is to cook it in 
the little earthen stew-pan. I am in such a 
hurry to eat it.” 


24 


The Marvellous 


So said, so done. He placed the small stew- 
pan on the stove full of burning cinders. In 
stead of oil or butter, he put a little water in 
the stew-pan. When the water began steaming 
— tac! — he broke the shell of the egg so as to 
drop the contents in the pan. 

But instead of the white and the yolk of the 
egg, a lively young chicken sprang out, chuck- 
ling and frisky, and made a little courtesy 
saying: 

‘‘A thousand thanks, Mr. Pinocchio, for 
having spared me the eflFort to break the shell! 
Farewell and give my compliments to your 
family.’’ 

Then the chick spread its wings and away it 
flew out of the window and out of sight. 

The poor puppet remained motionless in 
amazement with staring eyes, open mouth, and 
the broken egg shell in his hands. Upon 
recovering from his astonishment he began to 
cry and scream, and stamp on the ground in 
despair, and while weeping he stammered. 

“Truly the Speaking Cricket was right! 
Had I not run away from home and if my daddy 
were here I should not be starving to death. 
Ah! what a dreadful malady hunger is!” 

And as his stomach kept on grumbling and 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


25 


he did not know what to do to quiet it, he 
resolved to run down to the near village, 
in the hope of finding some benevolent person 
who would give him a piece of bread out of 
charity. 


CHAPTER VI 


PINOCCHIO FALLS ASLEEP WITH HIS FEET ON THE 
STOVE AND WAKES UP TO FIND THEM BURNT 
OFF 

I T WAS a fearful night. It thundered 
terribly and the lightning was so con- 
stant and vivid that the heavens seemed 
on fire. A rough wind blew and whistled 
furiously, raising an immense cloud of dust. 
The trees around the country screeched and 
rattled. 

Pinocchio was afraid of thunder and light- 
ning, but his hunger overcame his fear. He 
opened the door and darted down the street 
and in a hundred leaps he reached the village 
out of breath and with his tongue protruding 
like the tongue of a hunter’s dog. 

But he found everything dark and deserted. 
The shops were closed, the doors of the dwell- 
ings closed, the windows closed, and not even 
a dog in the streets. It seemed like a place of 
the dead. 

Then Pinocchio, driven by despair and 

26 







I|4« 








c^Jihi^i^r/*.- 


delude o_f toaier came pour~^ 
^ ^ in^ down on him 




» 


h- 


V » 


•h 


I 


4 


tV 









Adventures of Pinocchio 27 

hunger, took hold of a door-bell and began to 
ring it with all his might, saying to himself: 

“Someone will answer.” 

After a while an old man with a nightcap on 
his head looked out of a window and said 
angrily: 

“What do you want at this hour 

“Would you be so kind as to give me a bit 
of bread ?” 

“Wait there and I will come back immedi- 
ately,” responded the little old man, believing 
Pinocchio to be one of those ragamuffins who 
divert themselves at night by ringing door-bells 
to molest gentle people who are asleep. 

After half a minute the window was opened 
once more and the little old man said to Pinoc- 
chio; 

“Come under the window and hold up your 
hat.” 

Pinocchio had never yet had any hat, but he 
drew close to the house, when a deluge of water 
came pouring down on him from a large pitcher 
and it watered him from head to foot as if he had 
been a pot with a withered geranium in it. 

He returned home as wet as a little chicken, 
utterly exhausted from hunger and fatigue, and 
as he had no longer the strength to stand up, he 


28 Adventures of Pinocchio 

sat down, resting his wet feet, splashed with 
mud, on a stove full of live coals. 

And there he fell asleep; and while he was 
sleeping his feet, which were of wood, took fire 
and slowly, slowly became charcoal and then 
burned to ashes. 

Pinocchio slept and slept and snored as if his 
feet belonged to some other boy. Toward 
daybreak some one woke him up by knocking at 
the door. 

“Who is there.?” he asked, yawning and 
rubbing his eyes. 

“ It is I,” a voice responded. 

It was the voice of Gepetto. 


CHAPTER VII 


/ 

GEPETTO RETURNS HOME AND GIVES THE PUPPET 
THE BREAKFAST WHICH THE POOR MAN 
HAD BOUGHT FOR HIMSELF 

P OOR Pinocchio who was still sleepy, had not 
yet noticed that his feet were burned off. 
As soon as he heard his father’s voice he slid 
down from the chair to run and unbolt the door; 
but after staggering a little he fell flat on the 
ground. In striking on the floor he made a 
noise as if a bag of wooden spoons had fallen 
from the fifth story. 

‘‘Let me in!” cried Gepetto from the street. 
“Daddy, I cannot,” cried the puppet, weep- 
ing and rolling on the floor. 

“Why not.?” 

“ Because my feet have been eaten oflF.” 

“And who has eaten them .?” 

“The cat,” said Pinocchio, seeing the cat 
amusing itself in tossing some pieces of wood 
about with its little paws. 

“Let me in, I say!” repeated Gepetto,“or else 
when I get in I ’ll give you the cat o’ nine tails.” 


30 


The Marvellous 


“I cannot stand up, daddy, believe me. 
Oh poor me! Poor me! I shall have to walk 
on my knees all the rest of my life!” 

Gepetto, believing that all this lamenting was 
some trickery of the puppet, thought he would 
put an end to it; and climbing over the wall he 
entered the house through the window, uttering 
all sorts of threats; but when he saw his little 
Pinocchio on the floor, he was overcome with 
grief and pain, and taking the wooden child up 
in his fatherly arms most tenderly, he began to 
kiss and caress it while big tears rolled down 
his kind old face. 

‘‘My dear little Pinocchio,” he said, “how 
did it happen that you burned your feet off.?” 

“I do not know, daddy, but believe me, it 
has been a horrible night and I shall remember 
it as long as I live. It thundered and lightened 
and I was dying of hunger. Then the Speaking 
Cricket said to me, ‘ It serves you right — you 
have been bad and you deserve it,’ and I said 
to him, ‘Beware, Cricket!’ and he said to me, 
‘You are a puppet, you have a wooden head,’ 
and I threw a hammer at him, and he died, but 
the fault was his because I did not want to kill 
him. Then I placed the little stew-pan on the 
burning cinders to cook an egg but a small hen 


Adventures of Pinocchio 31 

flew out saying, ‘Farewell and give my compli- 
ments to your family.’ And my hunger grew 
and grew so I ran down to the village and pulled 
a door-bell. A little old man looked down from 
the window and said to me, ‘Come under here 
and put up your hat.’ Then he threw a pitcher 
of water all over me. It is no disgrace to ask 
for a bit of bread, is it ? I came back home as 
fast as my feet would carry me and I was still 
very hungry. Then I rested my wet feet, to dry 
them, on the brass coal-pan full of burning 
cinders and fell asleep; and now you have come 
back and found my feet burned off. In the mean- 
time I am starving to death ! Ih ! ih ! ih ! ih ! ” 
And poor Pinocchio began to weep and he 
bawled so loudly that he could have been heard 
for more than three miles. 

Pinocchio’s story was so long and confusing 
that Gepetto remembered only one point in it 
and that was that the puppet was dying of 
hunger. So the good man took three pears from 
his pocket and giving them to Pinocchio said: 

“These three pears were to have been my 
breakfast but I give them to you gladly. Eat 
them and may they do you good.” 

“If you want me to eat them, please peel 
them, daddy.” 


32 


The Marvellous 


“Peel them?’’ said Gepetto, astonished. “I 
should never have believed, my boy, that you 
were so delicate of palate and so disdainful. 
Bad boy! In this world one must from child- 
hood, become accustomed to eat all kinds of 
food because one never knows what may 
happen to him.” 

“You may be right,” rejoined Pinocchio, 
“but I shall never eat any fruit that is not 
peeled. I cannot eat the skins.” 

And that good man, Gepetto, took out a 
small pocket knife and, arming himself with 
patience, peeled the three pears and put all the 
peels on a corner of the table. 

Pinocchio ate the first pear in two mouthfuls 
and was about to throw away the core when 
Gepetto caught him by the arm saying: 

“Do not throw away the core. Anything 
in this world may become useful.” 

“Indeed! I will never eat that core,” cried 
the puppet, turning and twisting like a big 
worm. 

“Who knows what may happen!” replied 
Gepetto, without getting angry. 

The three cores, instead of being thrown out 
of the window, were put on the table with the 
peels. 


33 


Adventures of Pinocchio 

Having eaten, or rather devoured, the three 
pears, Pinocchio yawned at length and said 
plaintively: 

am still hungry.” 

“But, my boy, I have nothing more to give 
you.” 

“Really, nothing?” 

“I have nothing but these peels and cores.” 

“Patience!” said Pinocchio. “If there is 
nothing else I will eat a peel.” 

He began to chew one. At first he made wry 
faces, twisting his mouth. But one after 
another, he cleared them all off; and after the 
peels he ate the cores also. When he had 
finished eating everything he patted his little 
stomach and said: 

“Now I feel pretty well. 

“You see, then,” remarked Gepetto, “that I 
was right when I told you to learn to like all 
kinds of food and not be too dainty. My dear, 
we never know what may happen to us in this 
world. It is well to be prepared to take it as it 


comes. 


CHAPTER VIII 


GEPETTO MAKES ANOTHER PAIR OF FEET FOR 
PINOCCHIO AND SELLS HIS OWN OVERCOAT 
TO BUY HIM AN A B C BOOK 

5 SOON as his hunger was appeased the 



1 \. puppet began to whine and cry because 
he wanted a new pair of feet. 

But Gepetto, in order to punish him for his 
naughtiness, let him weep in despair half a day 
and then said to him; 

“Why should I make you another pair of 
feet \ To see you run away from your home 
again ? ” 

“I promise you,” said the puppet, sobbing, 
“that henceforth I will be good.” 

“ Every boy says that when he wants to obtain 
something,” said Gepetto. 

“ I promise you, truly, that I will go to school 
and you shall be proud of me.” 

“ Every boy says that when he wants to obtain 
something,” repeated Gepetto. 

“ But I am not like other boys. I am the best 
of them all and I always tell the truth. I 


34 


Adventures of Pinocchii 


35 


promise you, daddy, that I will learn a trade, and 
I will be the consolation and support of your 
old age.’’ ^ 

Gepetto’s eyes were full of tears and his heart 
swelled with pity when he saw the affliction of 
his poor little Pinocchio. He did not utter 
another word but taking his tools in hand and 
two small pieces of well-chosen wood, set to work 
in great earnest, and in less than an hour the 
new feet were ready. 

They were small, nimble feet, fine and ner- 
vous. They were as beautiful as if they had 
been modelled by a genius. 

Then Gepetto said to the puppet, ‘‘Close your 
eyes and go to sleep.” 

Pinocchio closed his eyes and pretended to 
be sleeping while Gepetto with some glue dis- 
solved in an egg shell stuck the two feet on to the 
legs and he made the joining so neatly that no 
mark of the operation was visible. 

As soon as the puppet saw that he had new 
feet he jumped down from the table where he 
had been stretched during the operation and 
began to exercise his legs in all sorts of move- 
ments and he danced a thousand little jigs as 
if he had gone mad with pleasure. 

“In order to reward you for what you have 


3 ^ 


The Marvellous 


done for me I want to go to school at once/’ 
said Pinocchio to his papa. 

‘‘Good boy!” 

“But to go to school I need some clothing.” 

Gepetto, who was so poor that he did not have 
even a cent in his pocket, made him a suit of 
clothes of fancy paper, a pair of shoes from the 
bark of a tree, and a cap of soft bread paste. 

Pinocchio was delighted. He rushed at once 
to look at himself in a basin of water and was 
so pleased with his appearance that he strutted 
about and said: 

“I look exactly like a gentleman!” 

“You do, indeed,” responded Gepetto, 
“because it is the clean dress and not the elegant 
one that makes a gentleman. Keep that in 
mind.” 

“By the way,” observed the puppet, “if I go 
to school I shall need something else. In fact 
T shall need the most necessary and best thing of 
all.” 

“And what is that.?” 

“I shall need an A B C book.” 

“You are right, my boy, but how can we 
manage to get it .? ” 

“That is very easy! You can go to a book- 
seller and buy it.” 


37 


Adventures of Pinocchio 

“And the money?” 

“I haven’t any.” 

“Nor I either,” said the good old man, grow- 
ing sad. 

Pinocchio, although he was a merry boy, 
became sad also. Everybody — even a boy — 
understands real poverty when brought face to 
face with it. 

“Patience!” said Gepetto, suddenly straight- 
ening himself up, and seizing his old overcoat 
which was covered with patches, he ran out of 
the house. When he came back he had the 
ABC book but his overcoat was gone. The 
poor man was in his shirt-sleeves and the snow 
was falling outside. 

“Where is your overcoat, papa?” 

“I sold it.” 

“Why did you sell it?” 

“Because I was warm enough without it.” 

Pinocchio understood this reply in an instant 
and being unable to check the promptings of his 
good heart, he sprang into his father’s arms 
and began kissing him all over his face. 


CHAPTER IX 


PINOCCHIO SELLS THE ABC BOOK THAT HE 
MAY SEE THE THEATRE OF THE PUPPETS 



HE snow had ceased to fall when Pinocchio 


- 1 . with his new ABC book under his arm 
started on the way that led to the school. ' 
While walking along the most fantastic schemes 
and fancies ran riot in his little brain and he^ 
built a thousand castles in the air, each one more 
enchanting than the last. And talking to him- 
self he said: 

“To-day at school I want to learn to read;; 
to-morrow I must learn to write; the day^ 
after to-morrow I shall learn to use numbers. 
After that with my education I shall earn 
a great deal of money and with the first 
coins that come into my pocket I will get a 
fine new coat of cloth for my papa. But' 
why do I say cloth ? It shall be of silver) 
and gold with diamond buttons. That poori 
man really deserves it; for in order to buy 
me a book and have me educated, he sold his 
coat and now, he goes in his shirt-sleeves — 


Adventures of Pinocchio 39 

in this cold weather! Only a father is capable 
of such a sacrifice!’’ 

Pinocchio was full of emotion while say- 
ing this, when suddenly he thought he heard 
in the distance the music of fifes and 
drums: pi — pi — pi, pi — pi — pi, zum, zum 
zum, zum. 

He stopped to listen. The sounds came from 
the end of a long cross-street that led to a little 
village built on the seashore. 

“ I wonder what that music may be What 

a pity it is that I must go to school. If ” 

and he stood there perplexed. But he must 
make some resolution, either to go to school or 
to hear the fifes and drum. 

“To-day I will go to hear the fifes, and 
to-morrow I will go to school. There is always 
time to go to school,” said the little rogue, 
shrugging his shoulders. 

So said, so done. He turned into the cross- 
street and ran as fast as he could go. The more 
he ran, the more distinctly he heard the sound 
of the fifes and the beating of the drum: pi — 
pi — pi, pi — pi — pi, pi — pi — pi, zum, zum 
zum, zum. 

And lo! he found himself in the centre of a 
large square full of people who crowded around 


40 


The Marvellous 


a big booth built of wood and canvas, painted 
in a thousand colours. 

“What is that big booth ?” asked Pinocchio, 
turning to a boy who lived in that village. 

“Read the bill that is posted on that sign- 
board and you will know.’’ 

“I would gladly read it, but to-day I cannot 
read. I have not learned to read yet.” 

“Clever blockhead! Then I will read it for 
you. Know then that on that bill in letters as 
red as fire there is written, “Grand Theatre of 
the Puppets.” 

“When does the play begin?” asked Pinocchio. 

“It has just begun.” 

“And how much is the entrance fee ?” 

“Four cents.” 

Pinocchio, who had the fever bf curiosity, 
losing all control of himself, said without the 
least shame, “Will you lend me four cents until 
to-morrow ? ” 

“I would gladly let you have them, but to- 
day I have no money to lend.” 

“For four cents I will sell you my jacket,” 
said the puppet. 

“Of what use could a flowered paper jacket 
be to me ? If it rains there is no way to take it 
off one’s back.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


41 


“Will you buy my shoes ?” 

“They are good for nothing but kindling 
wood.” 

“ How much will you give me for my cap ” 

“A great bargain, indeed! A cap of bread 
crumbs] The rats would probably come and 
eat it off from my head.” 

Pinocchio was on nettles. He was at the 
point of making the last offer but he did not 
have the courage. He hesitated, wavered, 
and fretted. At last he said: 

“Will you give me four cents for this new 
ABC book.?” 

“I do not buy anything from boys,” replied 
the little fellow, who had better judgment than 
the puppet. 

“For four cents I will take the ABC book,” 
said a dealer in second-hand clothes who had 
heard the conversation. 

And the book was sold there and then. And 
to think that that poor man, Gepetto, had 
remained at home shivering from cold, in his 
shirt-sleeves for buying the ABC book for his 
son! 


CHAPTER X 


THE PUPPETS RECOGNISE THEIR BROTHER, 
PINOCCHIO, AND GIVE HIM A FESTIVE 
WELCOME 

W HEN Pinocchio entered the Theatre of 
the Puppets something happened which 
nearly caused a revolution. 

One must know that the curtain was already 
drawn up and the comedy had begun. 

On the stage Harlequin and Pulcinello were 
disputing and as usual threatened to cudgel each 
other. 

The spectators in the pit were roaring with 
laughter on hearing the dispute of the puppets 
who gesticulated and gave each other blows 
with such reality that they seemed like actual 
people. 

Without any apparent cause Harlequin sud- 
denly ceased reciting. Turning toward the 
audience he beckoned with his hand to some 
one at the farthest end of the pit and began to 
shout in a dramatic tone: 

“Ye gods of the firmament! Do I dream 


Adventures of Finocchio 

or am I awake! For certainly that boy yonder 
is Pinocchio!” 

It is surely Pinocchio,” shouted Pulcinello. 

‘‘It is he, really!” screamed Rosa from the 
back of the stage. 

“It is Pinocchio! It is Pinocchio!” howled 
all the puppets, leaping out from behind the 
scenes. 

“It is Pinocchio! It is our brother, Pinoc- 
chio! Hurrah for Pinocchio!” 

“Pinocchio, come here to me!” shouted 
Harlequin. “Come and throw yourself into 
the arms of your wooden brothers.” 

At this affectionate invitation Pinocchio gave 
a jump and from the rear of the theatre he 
reached the front seats; with another leap he 
mounted the head of the director of the orches- 
tra, and from that point made a leap to the 
stage. 

It is impossible to imagine the embraces — 
how they clasped each other around the neck 
— how they gave each other friendly pinches — 
how they squeezed hands — and the sugary 
speeches of true and sincere brotherhood that 
Pinocchio received from the actors and actresses 
of that company of dramatic vegetables. 

It was a touching scene. But the audience. 


44 


The Marvellous 


seeing that the comedy was not going on, 
became impatient and began to cry out, “We 
want the comedy! Go on with the play!’’ 

It was all breath thrown away, for the puppets 
instead of going on with the comedy, redoubled 
their clatter and cries — and taking Pinocchio 
on their shoulders carried him in triumph before 
the footlights. 

Just then the puppet-showman came out. 
He was a big, ugly man who frightened people 
by merely looking at them. He had a rough 
beard as black as ink and so long that it reached 
the ground, and he trampled on it with his feet 
when he walked. His mouth was as large as 
an oven and his eyes seemed like two lanterns 
of red glass with the lights burning within. 
With his hands he cracked a large whip made 
of serpents and the tails of foxes twisted together. 

At the unexpected appearance of the puppet- 
showman all the puppets became dumb. Not 
one of them dared to breathe. One could have 
heard a fly walk across the ceiling. Those poor 
little wooden actors and actresses trembled like 
so many leaves. 

“Why have you come here and brought 
disorder into my theatre ?” asked the showman, 
speaking to Pinocchio, in a coarse, loud voice, 


Adventures of Pinocchio 45 

like that of an ogre with a bad cold in 
his head. 

‘‘The fault is not mine/’ said Pinocchio. 
“Believe me most illustrious ” 

“ Enough of that,” said the showman and he 
tacked Pinocchio to the wall. “To-night we 
will settle our accounts.” 

When the show was over the showman went 
into the kitchen where he had prepared for 
supper a fat sheep which he turned slowly on 
the spit. And as he needed more firewood to 
finish cooking it and make a nice brown roast, he 
called Harlequin and Pulcinello and said to 
them, “Bring me that puppet which you will 
find fastened to the wall by a nail. He seems 
to be made of dry wood and I am sure that if I 
throw him on the fire, he will give me a beautiful 
flame for my roast.” 

Harlequin and Pulcinello hesitated, but 
terrified by an ugly scowl from their master 
obeyed. They soon came back to the kitchen 
bringing in their arms poor Pinocchio, who, 
wriggling like an eel out of water, screamed 
desperately: 

“Oh, my daddy, save me! I do not want to 
die, no, I do not want to die!” 


CHAPTER XI 


THE SHOWMAN, WHOSE NAME WAS FIRE EATER, 
SNEEZES AND FORGIVES PINOCCHIO WHO 
SAVES HIS FRIEND, HARLEQUIN, FROM 
DEATH 

^ I ^HE puppet showman. Fire Eater, seemed 
to be a terrible fellow with that rough, 
black beard of his covering his chest and legs in 
the style of an apron, but he was not a bad man 
at heart. When he saw poor Pinocchio strug- 
gling and heard him cry out, do not want to 
die! I do not want to die!” he was moved to 

pity- 

After resisting his feeling of compassion for 
awhile, he could do so no longer and he gave a 
trumpet-like sneeze. 

At that sneeze Harlequin, who had until 
then been in distress and bent down like a 
weeping-willow tree, became quite merry and 
leaning toward Pinocchio said in a soft whisper: 
“Good news, brother! The showman has 
sneezed and this is the sign that he is moved to 
compassion for you, and now you are safe.” 

46 


Adventures of Pinocchio 47 

For it must be known that men generally 
weep, or at least wipe tears from their eyes, 
when moved to compassion. Not so with 
Fire Eater. When his feelings were stirred he 
used to sneeze. It was his way of making 
known the sensitiveness of his heart. 

After having sneezed the showman, without 
ceasing to look savage, bawled out to Pinoc- 
chio* “Stop weeping! Your lamentations have 
caused an uncomfortable feeling at the pit of 
my stomach. It makes me suffer from a spasm 
which almost — etchi — etchi I ” and he sneezed 
again, twice. 

“Happiness to you!” said Pinocchio. 

“Thanks. And your papa and mamma, 
are they still alive asked Fire Eater. 

“Papa, yes; but mamma, I have never 
known her.” 

“Who can tell what pain I should have caused 
your father if I had thrown you on those burn- 
ing coals. Poor old man ! How I pity him — 
etchi — etchi — etchi ! ” — and he sneezed 
again three times. 

“Happiness!” said Pinocchio. 

“ Thanks ! But I am also to be pitied because, 
as you see, I have no wood with which to finish 
cooking my roast of mutton and you would 


48 


The Marvellous 


have made a hot fire. However, now that I 
have taken pity on you, I must have patience. 
Instead of you, I shall burn up some puppet of 
my company. Hello! Policemen!” 

At this call two wooden policemen appeared, 
tall and dry, with military hats on their heads 
and sword in hand. 

Then the showman said to them in a hoarse 
voice: “Seize Harlequin, tie him well and 
throw him on the fire, I want my sheep to be 
well roasted.” 

You can imagine poor Harlequin. He was 
so frightened that his legs bent up double and 
he fell on his face to the ground. 

At that distressing sight Pinocchio ran and 
threw himself at the feet of the showman 
and, weeping bitterly, began to cry out with 
beseeching voice, “Have mercy, Mr. Fire 
Eater!” 

The showman’s beard was wet with Pinoc- 
chio’s tears but he answered, “There are no 
misters here.” 

“Have mercy, good Cavalier!” 

“There are no cavaliers here.” 

“Have mercy, good Commander!” 

“There are no commanders here.” 

“Have mercy, your Excellency!” 


1 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


49 


On hearing himself called ‘‘Excellency” 
the mood of the showman changed at once. He 
became very gentle and affable and he said to 
Pinocchio, “Well, what can I do for you V* 

“I beg of you, spare poor Harlequin!” 

“That is out of the question!” said Fire 
Eater. “Since I have spared you, I must have 
him put on the fire. I want my sheep well 
roasted.” 

“In that case,” exclaimed Pinocchio, bravely 
straightening himself up and throwing aside 
his cap of paste, ‘Hn that case I know what 
my duty is. Come on, policemen! Tie my 
hands and throw me among the flames. It is 
not right that Harlequin, my true friend, should 
die for me.” 

These words, uttered in a loud voice and with 
heroic accent, made all the puppets that were 
present at this scene cry. Even the policemen, 
although made of wood, wept like two little 
lambs. 

Fire Eater at first remained unmoved like a 
piece of ice; but slowly he began to soften and 
to sneeze. And having sneezed four or five 
times, he opened his arms and said to Pinocchio, 
“You are a brave boy. Come and give me a 
kiss.” 


50 Adventures of Pinocchio 

Pinocchio ran like a squirrel and climbing 
up the beard of the showman gave him a 
hearty kiss on the end of his nose. 

^‘Then am I to be spared?’’ asked poor 
Harlequin in a little voice that was just above 
a whisper. 

“Yes, you are spared,” replied Fire Eater, 
and he added sighing and shaking his head: 
“I will have patience. I will eat my mutton 
half roasted this evening. But woe to him 
who shall be chosen another time!” 

When the puppets heard the news that Harle- 
quin was spared, they scampered to the stage 
and turned on the lights as if it were a gala 
evening and began to jump and dance. And 
they danced until morning. 














CHAPTER XII 


FIRE EATER MAKES A PRESENT OF FIVE GOLD 
COINS TO PINOCCHIO AND TELLS HIM TO 
TAKE THEM TO HIS FATHER. BUT PINOC- 
CHIO ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE DECEIVED 
AND LED AWAY BY THE FOX AND THE CAT 

^ I ^HE next day Fire Eater called Pinocchio 
^ aside and said to him, “What is your 
father’s name?” 

“Gepetto.” 

“And what is his business ?” 

“He is a beggar.” 

“Does he earn much ?” 

“He earns so much that he never has a cent 
in his pockets. Just think of it! In order to 
buy me an A B C book he had to sell the only 
coat he had to his back. The coat had been 
darned and mended until it was a piece of 
patchwork.” 

“Poor fellow! I really pity him. Here 
are five gold coins. Take them to him as 
quickly as possible and give him my compli- 
ments.” 

Pinocchio, as one may easily imagine, thanked 

5 * 


52 


The Marvellous 


the showman a thousand times. He embraced 
one by one all the puppets of the company, 
even the policemen, and, with inexpressible joy 
started on his journey homeward. But he had 
not gone two miles when he met a Fox lame in 
one foot and a Cat blind in both eyes, going 
along the same way and helping each other as 
best they could in their misfortunes. The Fox, 
being lame, walked along leaning on the Cat. 
And the Cat, being blind allowed itself to be 
guided by the Fox. 

‘‘Good day,Pinocchio,” said the Fox politely. 

“How does it happen that you know my 
name?” asked the puppet. 

“I know your papa very well.” 

“Where have you seen him?” 

“I saw him yesterday at the door of his 
house.” 

“And what was he doing?” 

“He was in his shirt-sleeves and was shiver- 
ing with the cold.” 

“Poor papa! But if God will it he shall 
shiver no more after to-day.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I have become rich. I am a great 
gentleman.” 

“You a rich gentleman!” said the Fox, and 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


53 


he began to laugh in a rude and mocking way. 
And the Cat laughed also, but he combed his 
moustache with his paw to conceal his laughter. 

“There is nothing to laugh about!” cried 
Pinocchio, much annoyed. “I really regret 
making you feel envious, but here are five very 
beautiful gold coins.” 

And he took out the money which Fire Eater 
had given him. 

At the pleasing sound of the gold pieces the 
Fox, by an involuntary movement straightened 
out his crippled leg and the Cat opened wide 
both eyes which seemed to be two green lanterns. 
But he closed them so quickly that Pinocchio 
did not notice them. 

“And now,” asked the Fox, “what will you 
do with the gold 

“First of all,” answered the puppet, “I will 
buy for my papa a coat of gold and silver with 
diamond buttons; and then I will buy an A B C 
book for myself.” 

“For yourself.?” 

“Yes, indeed, because I want to goto school 
and begin to study in earnest.” 

“Look at me,” said the Fox. “Through a 
foolish passion for studying I have lost a leg.” 

“Look at me,” said the Cat. “In conse- 


54 


The Marvellous 


quence of my foolish passion for studying I have 
lost the sight of both eyes/’ 

At that very moment Merlo, the blackbird, 
who was resting on the fence by the roadside, 
gave a warning cry: 

“Pinocchio,” he said, “do not listen to the 
advice of bad companions. You will be sorry 
for it if you do.” 

Poor Merlo! Would that he had never said 
it! for the Cat suddenly sprang at him and 
without giving him time to say, “Oh!” ate him 
up at one mouthful, feathers and all. 

Having eaten the bird, the Cat cleaned his 
mouth and shut his eyes anew and pretended 
to be blind as he had done before. 

“Poor Merlo!” said Pinocchio to the Cat. 
“Why have you treated him so badly ?” 

“ I did it to teach him a lesson. Another time 
he will know better than to interfere with the 
business of other folks.” 

They had gone about half way when the Fox 
stopping all of a sudden said to the puppet: 

“Would you like to double your gold coins .?” 

“I don’t understand you,” said Pinocchio. 

“ Do you want with those five miserable 
gold pieces to make a hundred, a thousand, 
two thousand ? ” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 55 

‘Certainly! But how can I do it?” 

''Oh, easily. Instead of going home come’ 
with us.” 

"And where would you take me?” 

"To the Country of the Owls.”* 

Pinocchio thought it over awhile and then 
said resolutely: "No, I will not go with you. 
Now, I am near home where I shall see my 
papa who is expecting me. Who knows how 
much that poor old man may have worried not 
seeing me return. I know only too well that I 
have been a bad son and the Speaking Cricket 
was right when he said: ‘ Disobedient boys can 
never have good luck in this world.’ And I 
have learned it by experience and at my own 
cost, for many misfortunes have befallen me. 
No later than yesterday, at the house of Fire 
Eater, I ran the risk — Brrr !” — and Pinocchio 
wept aloud in merely thinking of it. 

"Then you really want to go home, do you ?” 
said the Fox. "All right! Go, and so much 
the worse for you!” 

"So much the worse for you!” said the Cat. 

"Think it over well, Pinocchio, for you give 
a fatal thrust to fortune.” 

"To fortune,” repeated the Cat. 


* The country of simpletons. 


56 


The Marvellous 


“To-morrow your five gold pieces might 
become two thousand/’ 

“Two thousand!” repeated the Cat. 

“ But how is it possible that they can become 
so many?” asked Pinocchio, standing with his 
mouth open in amazement. 

“I will explain it to you,” said the Fox. 
“You must know that in the Country of the 
Owls there is a sacred field which everybody 
calls, ‘The Field of Miracles.’ In this field you 
dig a little hole and plant a gold coin. Then 
you cover it up with some earth, throw on two 
pailfuls of spring water, then sprinkle a pinch 
of salt over it. At night you go quietly to bed 
and sleep peacefully. During the night the gold 
piece will begin to grow and bud and blossom. 
And in the morning at sunrise if you return to 
the field, what will you find ? You will find a 
beautiful tree laden with gold coins, growing 
as close together as kernels on an ear of corn in 
the month of June.” 

“ If I were to bury five coins in that field, how 
many should I find the next morning?” said 
Pinocchio in astonishment. 

“Oh, the counting is very easy,” answered 
the Fox. “You can reckon them on your 
fingers. Suppose that each gold coin turns into 


Adventures of Ptnocchio 


57 


a bunch of five hundred. Multiply five hundred 
by five and you will find in your pocket two 
thousand five hundred ringing and glittering 
gold coins.” 

‘‘Oh, how fine!” cried Pinocchio, jumping 
about with pleasure. “As soon as I have 
gathered these gold coins, I will take two 
thousand for myself and I will give the other 
five hundred to you as a present.” 

“A present to us! God forbid!” 

“Forbid!” repeated the Cat. 

“We do not work for our own interest; we 
work only to enrich others,” said the Fox. 

“Only others,” repeated the Cat. 

“What benevolent people!” thought Pinoc- 
chio, and forgetting all about his papa and the 
new coat and the ABC book and his good 
resolutions, he said to the Fox and the Cat, 
“Come along, I will go with you.” 


CHAPTER XIII 


AT THE INN OF THE RED LOBSTER 

HEY walked and walked and walked until 



J. toward evening when they arrived, all 
tired out, at the Inn of the Red Lobster. 

“Let us stop here to eat a mouthful and rest 
awhile,” said the Fox. “We will start again 
at midnight and in the morning we shall arrive 
at the Field of Miracles.” 

Having entered the Inn they all sat down at a 
table but none of them was hungry. The 
poor Cat, feeling seriously indisposed in the 
stomach, could eat nothing but thirty-five 
mullets with tomato sauce and four portions of 
tripe. As the tripe was not highly seasoned he 
asked three times for butter and grated cheese 
to make it more tasty. 

The Fox would have been glad to order 
something; but as the doctor had prescribed a 
diet, he had to content himself with a rabbit 
cooked in sweet-sour sauce and garnished with 
dainty bits of chicken. After the rabbit, the 
Fox ordered as an appetiser, mixed dishes of 


Adventures of Pinocchio 59 

partridges, pheasants, frogs, lizards and para- 
dise grapes; after that he wanted nothing mdre; 
the very sight of food made him ill. 

Pinocchio ate the least of them all. He 
ordered one-fourth of a kernel of a walnut and 
a slice of bread" but he left them on his plate. 
Poor fellow! His thoughts were fixed on the 
Field of Miracles and he was suffering with a 
fever for gold. 

When supper was ended the Fox said to the 
Innkeeper: ‘‘Give me two good rooms, one for 
Mr. Pinocchio and one for myself and my 
companion. Before we depart we will take a 
nap. But remember to call us at midnight so 
that we may resume our journey.’’ 

“All right, sir,” replied the host, winking 
at the Fox and the Cat, as much as to say, 
“I understand.” 

As soon as Pinocchio had gone to bed he fell 
into a sound sleep and began to dream. He 
dreamed that he was in the middle of a field and 
this field was full of little trees, laden with 
bunches of twigs, and each twig was laden with 
golden coins. These twigs were swinging 
in the wind and as they swung to and fro the 
gold pieces made a noise that sounded like “zin, 
zin, zin, zin, if any one wants us, let him come 


6o 


The Marvellous 


and take us.” But when Pinocchio stretched 
out his hands to take those beautiful gold pieces 
by the handfuls and fill his pockets, he was 
suddenly awakened by three rousing knocks at 
the door of his room and the landlord entered 
to tell him that the midnight bell had sounded. 

“Are my companions ready?” asked the 
puppet. 

“Ay, they started two hours ago.” 

“Why were they in such a hurry ?” 

“Because the Cat received a message that 
his oldest kitten was ill with chilblains on its 
paws, and likely to die.” 

“Did they pay for the supper?” 

“What a strange question! Those gentle- 
men are too well-bred to offer such an affront 
to your Lordship.” 

“What a pity!” said Pinocchio, scratching his 
head. “But it would have been a pleasing 
affront!” Then he asked: “And where did 
those good friends say they would meet me ?” 

“At the Field of Miracles, to-morrow at 
dawn.” 

Pinocchio paid a gold coin for the supper for 
himself and friends and then started off on his 
journey. He went groping along in the night 
for outside of the inn the darkness was so black 


Adventures of Pinocchio 6i 

that one could not see anything. In the country 
around all was so quiet that one could not hear 
a leaf stir. Some ugly night birds crossing the 
road from one fence to another, came flapping 
their wings against the nose of Pinocchio, who, 
jumping a step backward from fear, cried out: 
“ Who is there ? ” And the echo of the surround- 
ing hills repeated in the distance, “Who is there .? 
Who is there ^ Who is there ?” 

As Pinocchio walked along he saw glittering 
on the trunk of a tree a little animal that shed 
a pale, dim light like that of a small wax candle 
shining through a lantern of transparent 
porcelain. 

“Who art thou?” asked Pinocchio. 

“I am the ghost of the Speaking Cricket,” 
answered the shining creature in a low whis- 
pering voice that seemed to come from the other 
world. 

“What do you want of me?” asked the 
puppet. 

“I want to give you good counsel. Go back 
to your papa. Take the four gold pieces that 
you have remaining and give them to him. 
He weeps and is in despair because he sees you 
no more.” 

“To-morrow my papa will be a very rich 


62 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


gentleman because these four gold pieces will 
become two thousand/’ 

‘‘ My boy, do not trust any one who promises 
to make you rich in one day. Such a fellow is 
usually insane or a knave. Listen to me. 
Turn back.” 

“ I want to go forward.” 

‘‘The hour is late.” 

“I want to go on.” 

“The night is dark.” 

“I want to go on.” 

“The road is dangerous.” 

“I want to go on.” 

“Remember that boys who will do as they 
please, must repent sooner or later.” 

“The same old story. Good night. Speaking 
Cricket.” 

“Good night, Pinocchio, and may heaven 
save you from the malarial vapours of night 
and from assassins. 

When he had uttered these words, the Speak- 
ing Cricket extinguished its light as a candle 
is blown out and the road was darker than 
before. 


CHAPTER XIV 


PINOCCHIO MEETS WITH THE ASSASSINS 

LAS!” said the puppet to himself as he 



r\ went on, “how unfortunate we poor boys 
are. Everybody scolds us, everybody warns us, 
everybody gives us advice. If you listen to any 
one he begins at once to assume the authority 
of a papa or schoolmaster. Even that tire- 
some Speaking Cricket, because I did not listen 
to him, who knows how many misfortunes may 
befall me! Luckily I do not believe anything 
about assassins and never did. It is my opinion 
that papas have invented assassins to frighten 
boys who want to go out at night. Suppose 
that I should meet them! Would it concern 
me in the least Not at all. I would go and 
shout in their ears, ‘Gentlemen Assassins, what 
is it that you want of me ? Remember that with 
me there is no joking! Go about your own 
business and be silent!’ After this speech I 
fancy I see those poor assassins run away as 
swiftly as the wind. But should they be so 
ill-bred as not to run away, then I would run 


64 


The Marvellous 


away myself and that would put an end to the 
matter.” 

But before Pinocchio could finish his soli- 
loquy he fancied that he heard a slight rustling 
of leaves behind his back. He turned round to 
look, and in the darkness he saw two ugly black 
figures, completely disguised in coal bags. 
They ran after him by jumps on tip-toe as if 
they were two ghosts. 

“Here they are, indeed!” said Pinocchio to 
himself, and not knowing where to hide the four 
gold coins he put them in his mouth, under his 
tongue. Then he tried to run away. But he 
had not taken a step before he was seized by the 
arms and he heard two cavernous voices say, 

“Your money or your life!” 

Pinocchio, being unable to speak, on account 
of the gold pieces in his mouth, made a thou- 
sand comical bows and courtesies in order to 
make the robbers understand that he was a poor 
puppet without even a cent in his pockets. 

“Go on! Go on! Out with the money! 
Stop your nonsense!” cried the brigands, of 
whom only the two eyes were visible through 
holes in the coal sacks. The puppet made signs 
with his head and his hands as if to say: 

“I have no money.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 65 

“Spit out the money or you are a dead boy!^* 
said the taller assassin. 

“Dead!” repeated the other. 

“And after we have killed you, we will kill 
your papa!” 

“We will kill your papa!” 

“No, no, no! My poor dad, no!” cried 
Pinocchio, but it made the gold coins jingle in 
his mouth. 

“You rascal! You have that money under 
your tongue! Spit it out!” 

But Pinocchio took no heed. 

“Ah! you pretend to be deaf.? Wait a 
moment! We will make you spit it out!” 

So one of them took him by the nose and the 
other by the seat of his breeches and they began 
to jerk him to and fro to compel him to open his 
mouth: but all in vain. His lips seemed nailed 
and riveted. 

The shorter Assassin took out a big knife and 
tried to force it between the lips of the puppet. 
But Pinocchio, quicker than a flash of lightning, 
seized the robber’s hand between his teeth and 
bit it oflF and spat it out of his mouth. Fancy 
his surprise when he saw that he had spat a 
cat’s forepaw on the ground instead of a hand. 

Encouraged by this first victory he freed him- 


66 


The Marvellous 


self from the clutches of the Assassins and, 
jumping over the fence at the side of the road 
began to fly across the country. The Assassins 
ran after him like two dogs after a hare. The 
Assassin who had lost a front paw ran with only 
one, and it was never known how he could 
manage to do it. 

After a race of more than nine miles, Pinoc- 
chio was exhausted. Seeing himself lost he 
climbed a tall pine tree and sat down on the 
top branches. The Assassins tried to climb the 
tree also; but when they were half way up they 
slipped down and in falling, skinned their hands 
and feet. 

But they did not give up as vanquished. On 
the contrary, having gathered a pile of dry wood 
at the foot of the tree, they set fire to it. In 
less time than it can be said, the pine began to 
burn and flamed up like a candle blown by the 
wind. Pinocchio saw the flames growing 
larger and not wishing to finish himself like a 
broiled pigeon, leaped quickly from the top of 
the tree and away he ran across the fields and 
vineyards, the Assassins after him without 
ever getting tired. 

Meanwhile the day dawned and Pinocchio 
found his path interrupted by a broad and deep 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


67 


ditch which resembled a sewer, full of muddy 
water of the colour of coffee and milk. What 
could he do ? The Assassins were close upon 
his heels. ‘‘One — two — three!” shouted 
the puppet and darting forward with all his 
energy leaped to the other side. The Assas- 
sins jumped also but not having measured the 
distance carefully, splash! heels over head, 
they went into the ditch. Pinocchio having 
heard the noise of the fall and the splashing of 
the water laughed and shouted while he con- 
tinued to run: 

“ A nice bath. Gentlemen Assassins ! ” Pinoc- 
chio fancied that they were drowned but turning 
around to look, he saw that they were both still 
giving chase, wrapped as before in their coal 
sacks and dripping water like two bottomless 
baskets. 


CHAPTER XV 


THE ASSASSINS HANG PINOCCHIO ON THE BRANCH 
OF THE GRAND OAK TREE 

HE puppet, having lost his courage, 'was 



X on the point of throwing himself on the 
ground and giving himself up as vanquished, 
when, looking around, he saw a snow-white 
chapel glittering in the distance among the dark 
green trees. 

‘Hf I had breath enough to reach that house 
I might perhaps be saved!” he said to himself. 
And without a moment’s delay he began to run 
through the forest at full speed, the Assassins 
following him. 

After a desperate race of nearly two hours he 
arrived all out of breath at the door of the chapel 
and knocked. No one answered. He knocked 
again with greater violence for he heard the 
approaching steps and the heavy breathing of 
his persecutors. The same silence. 

Seeing that the knocking was useless, the 
puppet in despair began to kick and strike the 
door. Then a Beautiful Girl came to the 


68 


Adventures of Pmocchu 


69 


window. She had blue hair and a white face 
like a wax figure. Her eyes were closed and her 
hands were crossed on her breast. Without 
moving her lips she said in a thin voice which 
seemed to come from the other world: 

“No one lives in this house; they are all 
dead.’’ 

“Open the door!” cried Pinocchio, weeping 
and entreating. 

“I am dead.” 

“Dead! Then what are you doing at the 
window ? ” 

“ I am waiting for a hearse to come and carry 
me away.” 

As soon as she had said this the Girl disap- 
peared and the window closed without making 
any noise. 

“Oh, Beautiful Girl with blue hair,” cried 
Pinocchio, “for mercy’s sake do let me in! 
Have compassion on a poor boy pursued by 
the Assass ” 

But he could not finish the word because he 
felt himself grasped by the neck and he heard 
the two rough voices growling and threatening: 

“Now you shall not escape.” 

The puppet, feeling sure that he must die, 
began to tremble and he shook so that the joints 


70 


The Marvellous 


of his legs rattled as did also the four gold pieces 
hidden under his tongue. 

“Now r* asked the Assassins, “will you open 
your mouth .f* Yes or no! Ah, you will not 
answer Never mind 1 This time we will 
make you open it. 

And they took two knives as sharp as razors 
and, zaff, and zaff, they gave him two blows 
in the ribs. 

But luckily for him the puppet was made of 
hard wood and the razors were broken into a 
thousand splinters while the assassins remained 
with the handles in their hands, looking at each 
other. 

“I understand,” said one of them. “He 
must be hanged. Let us hang him then.” 

“Let us hang him,” repeated the other. 

So said, so done. They tied his hands 
behind him and passing a rope around his 
neck, they hanged him to a branch of the 
Grand Oak. 

Then they sat down on the grass waiting for 
the puppet to die. But after three hours the 
puppet had his eyes open as wide as ever and 
his mouth closed tight and he wagged his legs 
more than ever. 

At last, annoyed because they had to wait 


Adventures of Pinocchio 7 1 

so long, they turned to Pinocchio and said 
mockingly. 

“Good bye until to-morrow morning! When 
we return to-morrow we hope that you will do 
us the courtesy to let us find you dead, with 
your mouth wide open.” And they went away. 

Meanwhile a stormy north wind had begun 
to blow. It roared and dashed the poor 
executed puppet back and forth, making him 
swing violently like the clapper of a bell ringing 
for a holiday, and the tossing caused him most 
acute pain. The rope tightening about his 
throat stopped his breathing. 

Little by little his eyes became dull; and 
though he felt that death was near he hoped 
that some pitying soul might come and relieve 
him. After waiting a long time and finding 
that no one came to help him, he remembered 
his poor papa and stammered: “Oh my 
daddy! If you were only here!” and he 
had no breath to utter any more. He closed 
his eyes and opened his mouth, stretched his 
legs and with a last shudder remained motionless 
as if he were dead. 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL WITH THE BLUE HAIR 
HAS THE PUPPET TAKEN DOWN. SHE CALLS 
THREE DOCTORS 

W HILE Pinocchio was hanging from the 
branch of the Grand Oak and seeming 
more dead than alive, the Beautiful Girl with the 
blue hair looked out of the window, and was 
moved to pity by the sight of that unhappy 
creature who, suspended by the neck, danced 
a high-hop in the gusts of the north wind. She 
clapped her hands three times and at this signal 
a great noise of wings was heard, flying with 
precipitous haste and a large Falcon came and 
seated himself on the window sill. 

“What is your command, my gracious Fairy,’’ 
said the Falcon, lowering his beak in act of 
reverence; for it must be known that the 
Beautiful Girl with the blue hair was no other 
than a good Fairy who for more than a thousand 
years had lived in the vicinity of this forest. 

“Do you see that puppet hanging from the 
branch of the Grand Oak.f^” 


72 


Adventures of Pinocchit 


73 


“I see him.’* 

‘^Then fly to him quickly and with your strong 
beak loosen the knot that keeps him suspended 
in the air, and lay him gently on the grass at the 
foot of the tree.” 

The Falcon flew away and in less than three 
minutes returned saying: 

“What you commanded is done.” 

“And how did you find him — alive or 
dead.?” 

“From his looks I thought him dead, but 
he can not be quite so, for when I untied the 
knot that held him, he gave a sigh, muttering 
in a low voice: 

“‘Now I feel better.’” 

Then the Fairy clapped her hands twice and 
a well groomed poodle appeared walking on 
his hind legs, and standing straight up like a 
man. The dog was dressed in the gala livery 
of a coachman. On his head he wore a cap with 
three points that were bordered with gold braid 
and a blond wig with ringlets that covered his 
neck. He had a chocolate-coloured coat with 
diamond buttons and two large pockets in which 
to keep bones. The mistress had given him this 
coat at dinner time. He wore a pair of crimson 
velvet breeches, silk stockings, low shoes, and 


74 


The Marvellous 


at his back a blue satin umbrella case in which 
to carry his tail in rainy weather. 

‘‘Up, like a soldier, Medoro,” said the Fairy 
to the Dog. “Get the finest carriage of my 
stable ready immediately and take the road to 
the forest. When you arrive under the Grand 
Oak you will find a poor puppet stretched out 
on the grass, half dead. Lift him up gently, 
lay him on the carriage cushions and bring him 
to me. Do you understand 

The barbered poodle, in order to show 
that he had understood shook the blue satin 
umbrella case at his back three times and 
darted swiftly away. 

In a little while a beautiful sky-blue carriage 
was seen coming out of the stables. It was 
quilted with canary bird feathers and furnished 
inside with whipped cream and cakes. 

The carriage was drawn by a hundred pairs 
of white mice and the barbered dog sat on the 
box and cracked his whip to the right and to 
the left as a coachman does when he is afraid 
that he shall be late. 

A quarter of an hour had not elapsed when the 
little sky-blue carriage returned and the Fairy 
who was waiting at the door took the poor 
puppet in her arms and carrying him into a 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


75 


room where the walls were of mother of pearl, 
laid him on a bed and sent for the most famous 
doctors in the neighbourhood. 

One after another, the doctors arrived. One 
was a Crow, one a Screech Owl, and the third 
was a Speaking Cricket. 

“Gentlemen,” said the Fairy, turning toward 
the three doctors. “ I would like to know if this 
unfortunate puppet is dead or alive.” 

Hearing this question the Crow came forward 
first. He felt the pulse of Pinocchio, then 
examined his nose and after that, his little toe. 
After this careful examination he solemnly 
pronounced the following words: “It is 
my belief that the puppet is dead and gone; 
but if unfortunately he should not be 
dead, that would be a sure evidence that he 
is alive.” 

“I regret,” said the Screech Owl, “that I 
have to contradict the Crow, my illustrious friend 
and colleague. I think the puppet is still alive; 
but if, unluckily, he were not alive, it would be 
certain evidence that he is dead.” 

“Have you nothing to say to this .?” asked the 
Fairy, addressing the Speaking Cricket. 

“I say that a prudent doctor, when he does 
not understand a case, should remain silent. 


76 


Adventures of Pinocch 'u 


That puppet’s face is not a new one to me. I 
have known him for a long time.” 

Pinocchio, who until then, had remained as 
immovable as a piece of wood, shuddered con- 
vulsively so that he shook the whole bed. 

‘‘That puppet,” continued the Speaking 
Cricket, “is a consummate rascal ” 

Pinocchio opened his eyes and closed them 
again, quickly. 

“He is a bad boy, a good for nothing, a 
vagabond ” 

Pinocchio hid his face under the blankets. 

“That puppet is a disobedient son who will 
cause his father to die of heart-break ” 

At this point the sound of sighs and lamenta- 
tions was heard in the room. Fancy how 
astonished everybody was when, lifting the 
blankets a little, they found that it was Pinoc- 
chio who was sobbing and crying. 

“When a dead boy cries,” said the Crow 
solemnly, “it is a sign that he is recovering.” 

“ I am sorry to contradict my illustrious friend 
and colleague,” said the Screech Owl, “but it is 
my opinion that when a dead boy cries, it is a 
sign that he does not want to die.” 


CHAPTER XVII 


PINOCCHIO EATS THE SUGAR BUT WILL NOT TAKE 
HIS MEDICINE UNTIL HE SEES THE GRAVE- 
DIGGERS WHO COME TO CARRY HIM OFF 

1 SOON as the three doctors left the room 



the Fairy approached Pinocchio and 
touched him on the forehead when she per- 
ceived that he had a high fever from not saying 
anything. 

So she dissolved a certain white powder in a 
little water and handing the glass to the puppet 
said lovingly: 

‘‘ Drink it, and in a few days you will be well.’’ 

Pinocchio looked at the glass, making a wry 
face and then asked in a piteous tone, 

“Is it sweet or bitter.^” 

“It is bitter but it will do you good.” 

“If it is bitter I do not want it.” 

“Listen to me; drink it.” 

“I do not like what is bitter.” 

“Drink it, and then I will give you a lump 
of sugar to take the taste out of your mouth.” 

“Where is the lump of sugar? I will take 


77 


78 


The Marvellous 


the sugar first and then I will drink the 
bitter water.’’ 

“Do you promise.^” 

“Yes.” 

The Fairy gave him the sugar and Pinocchio 
ate it greedily. Then he licked his lips and said : 

“ How nice it would be if sugar were medicine. 
I would take it every day.” 

“Now keep your promise and take these few 
drops of medicine. They will give you back 
your health.” 

Pinocchio, unwillingly took the glass in his 
hand and smelled of the medicine. Then he 
held it to his lips. Then he smelled of it again. 
Finally he said: 

“It is too bitter — too bitter! I cannot 
drink it.” 

“How can you say that when you have not 
tasted it ^ ” 

“I know. I can tell by the odour. I want 
another lump of sugar. Then I will drink it.” 

So the Fairy, with all the patience of an indul- 
gent mamma, put another lump of sugar into his 
mouth and then offered him the medicine. 

“I cannot drink it,” said the puppet, making 
a thousand grimaces. 

“Why.?” 


79 


Adventures of Pinocchio 

‘‘ Because that pillow on my feet annoys me.” 

The Fairy took away the pillow. 

“It is of no use. I cannot drink it.” 

“What else annoys you ?” 

“The door is half open.” 

The Fairy closed the door. 

“A plague on the medicine!” bawled Pinoc- 
chio, bursting into tears. “ I will not drink that 
bitter water! No, no, no!” 

“My boy, you will repent.” 

“I do not care.” 

“Your fever is dangerous.” 

“I do not care.” 

“In a few hours the fever will send you into 
another world.” 

“I do not care.” 

“Have you no fear of death.?” 

“No fear at all. I would rather die than 
drink that dreadful medicine.” 

At this point the door of the room was thrown 
open, and four rabbits, as black as ink, entered, 
carrying a small coffin on their shoulders. 

“What do you want with me.^” shrieked 
Pinocchio, lifting himself up in the bed. 

“We have come to carry you off,” answered 
the largest rabbit. 

“To take me off.? But I am not dead yet.” 


8o 


The Man)ellous 


‘‘No, not yet; but you have only a few more 
moments to live, since you have refused to drink 
the medicine that would have cured you of the 
fever/’ 

“Oh, my Fairy! Oh, my Fairy!” screamed 
the puppet, ^‘give me the medicine at once. 
Hasten, for pity’s sake, for I do not want to die. 
No, I do not want to die.” And taking the 
glass with both hands he emptied it at one 
swallow. 

“Patience!” said the Rabbit. “This time 
we have come on a useless errand.” And lift- 
ing the coffin on their shoulders again they left 
the room, grumbling and murmuring between 
their teeth. 

In a few minutes after the rabbits had gone 
Pinocchio jumped out of bed in perfect health, 
for you must know that wooden puppets have 
the privilege of seldom falling ill, and recovering 
very quickly. 

And the Fairy seeing him run and play as 
lively and merry as a young chicken, said to 
him: 

“My medicine has done you good.” 

“Yes, indeed ! It has brought me back to life.” 

“ Then why was it necessary to beg of you to 
take it ? ” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 8 1 

'‘We boys are all alike. We are more afraid 
of medicine than of sickness.’* 

“Shame! Boys ought to know that a good 
remedy taken in time may prevent a dangerous 
illness and, perhaps, save them from death.” 

“Oh! another time I shall not be so naughty. 
I shall remember those black rabbits with the 
coffin on their shoulders and then I shall take 
the medicine at once.” 

“Now, come here and tell me how it was that 
you fell into the hands of the Assassins 

“It came to pass in this way,” said Pinocchio. 
“The puppet showman. Fire Eater, gave me 
five gold coins and said: ‘Take those to your 
papa.’ But I met a fox and a cat, two very 
worthy persons, who said to me, ‘Do you want 
to make a thousand or two thousand gold pieces 
out of those five coins ^ Come along with us 
and we will take you to the Field of Miracles.’ 
And I said: ‘Let us go.’ And they said: ‘Let 
us stop at the Inn of the Red Lobster and after 
midnight we will start on our journey again,’ 
and when I awoke they were no longer there, 
they had gone on. Then I began to walk in the 
night and it was very dark. Then I met two 
Assassins dressed in coal bags and they said to 
me, ‘Hand out your money,’ and I said ‘I have 


82 


The Marvellous 


none/ because I had concealed the gold coins 
in my mouth and one of the Assassins tried to 
put his hand in my mouth and so I bit olF his 
hand at one bite and spat it out, but instead of a 
hand, it was a Cat’s paw that I spat out. Then 
the Assassins ran after me and I ran until they 
overtook me and tied me by the neck to a tree 
in this forest saying: ‘To-morrow we shall 
come back here and then you will be dead with 
your mouth open, and then we shall take the 
coins that you have hidden under yourtongue.’ ” 

“Where are the four gold coins now asked 
the Fairy. 

“I have lost them!” replied Pinocchio, but 
he told a falsehood, because he had them in his 
pocket. 

As soon as he had uttered this falsehood his 
nose, which was already very long, grew two 
fingers longer. 

“And where did you lose them 

“Not far away from here, in the forest.” 

On uttering this second lie the nose grew still 
longer by the length of two fingers. 

“ If you have lost them in the forest near by, 
we shall find them,” said the Fairy, “because 
everything that is lost near here in the forest 
is always found.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


83 


“Ah/’ said the puppet, “now I remember 
that I have not lost the four coins. I swallowed 
them accidentally while drinking the medicine.” 

At this third falsehood the nose became so 
long that poor Pinocchio could not turn around. 
If he tried to turn to the right he struck his nose 
against the bedstead or the window. And if 
he tried to turn to the left he struck it against the 
wall or the door. If he raised his head a little 
there was danger of thrusting it into the eye of 
the Fairy. 

The Fairy looked at him and laughed. 

“Why do you laugh asked the puppet, quite 
confused and anxious about the lengthening of 
his nose. 

“I laugh at the stories you have told.” 

“How do you know that I have told any 
stories ^ ” 

“Falsehoods, my boy, are easily detected 
because there are two kinds of them. There 
is a lie that has short legs and a lie that always 
has a long nose. Your stories are of the kind 
that have a long nose.” 

Pinocchio, not knowing where to hide himself 
for shame, tried to escape from the room, but 
did not succeed. His nose had grown so long 
that he could not get it through the door. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


PINOCCHIO FALLS IN WITH THE FOX AND 
THE CAT 

> YOU may imagine, the Fairy left the 



1 \. puppet to cry and howl for a good half 
hour because his nose was so long that it would 
not allow him to go through the door. She did 
this to teach him a severe lesson that he might 
correct himself of that ugly vice of telling false- 
hoods. But when she saw him so disfigured, 
his eyes protruding with fright and despair, 
she was moved to pity. So she clapped her 
hands and at that signal a thousand wood- 
peckers flew through the window and into the 
room and resting on Pinocchio’s nose, picked 
at it so hard that in a few moments he found 
that enormous, absurd nose reduced to its 
natural size. 

“How kind you are, my Fairy,” said the 
puppet, wiping away his tears, ‘‘and how I 
love you.” 

“I love you, too,” replied the Fairy, “and 
if you want to remain with me, you shall be 


Adventures of Pinocchio 85 

my little brother and I will be your little 
sister.” 

“ I should be glad to stay — but my 
poor papa!” 

“ I have thought of everything — your daddy 
has been advised already and will be here 
before dark.” 

“Really?” cried Pinocchio, jumping for joy. 
“Then, my Fairy, if you are willing, I should 
like to go and meet him on the way. I can 
hardly wait, I am so impatient to give a kiss 
to that dear old man who has suffered so much 
for me!” 

“Well, go, but do not go astray. Take 
the road to the forest and I am sure you will 
meet him.” 

Pinocchio started. When he entered the 
forest, he began to run like a deer. But when 
he arrived at the Grand Oak he stopped, for 
he thought he heard some one among the 
bushes. In fact he saw, coming down the 
road, guess who ? The Fox and the Cat, 
the same companions with whom he had supped 
at the Inn of the Red Lobster. 

“Here is our dear friend Pinocchio,” cried 
the Fox, embracing and kissing him. “How 
is it that you are here?” 


86 


The Marvellous 


“How does it happen that you are here?” 
repeated the Cat. 

“It is a long story,” said the puppet. “It 
will take some time to relate it to you. You 
must know that the other night when you left 
me alone at the Red Lobster Inn I met some 
Assassins on the road.” 

“Assassins? Oh, poor friend! And what 
did they want?” 

“They wanted to take my gold coins away 
from me.” 

“Rascals!” said the Fox. 

“Rascals!” repeated the Cat. 

“But I began to run away,” continued the 
puppet, “and they ran after me until they 
caught me, and they hanged me to the branch 
of that oak tree.” 

And Pinocchio pointed to the Grand Oak 
which was a few steps away. 

“Who ever heard a worse story?” said the 
Fox. “In what a world are we doomed to live! 
Where can respectable men walk in security?” 

While they were talking thus Pinocchio 
noticed that the Cat wa's lame in the right front 
leg because the paw, nails and all, was missing, 
so he asked him, “What have you done with 
your right paw ?” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 87 

The Cat wished to answer but became con- 
fused so the Fox said at once; 

“My friend does not reply because he is too 
modest and so I will answer for him. You 
must know that an hour ago we met on this 
road an old Wolf who was famished from hunger 
and who asked for charity. We had nothing 
to give, not even a bit of fish, so what did my 
friend do ? He has the heart of a Caesar. He 
bit off a paw from one of his own legs and threw 
it to the poor beast as a breakfast. ” 

And the Fox in saying this wiped away a 
tear. 

Pinocchio also was much affected. He 
approached the Cat and whispered into his 
ear, “ If all the cats were as kind as you, the 
mice would be happy.’’ 

“And now what are you doing in this place 
asked the Fox. 

“I am waiting for my papa, who may come 
at any moment.” 

“And your gold coins, where are they?” 

“I have them all in my pocket except the 
one I spent at the Inn of the Red Lobster.” 

“And to think that instead of four coins, 
they might become a thousand or two thousand 
by to-morrow! why do you not follow my 


88 


The Marvellous 


advice ? Why do you not sow them in the 
Field of Miracles ?” 

“To-day, it is impossible. I will go some 
other day.’* 

“Another day will be too late,” said the Fox. 

“Why?” 

“Because that Field has been bought by a 
rich gentleman, and after to-morrow no one will 
be permitted to plant gold pieces in it.” 

“How far from here is the Field of Miracles ?” 

“Less than two miles. Will you come with 
us. Within half an hour you will be there. 
You can plant the four coins at once. After 
a few minutes you will gather two thousand and 
this evening you will be here with your pockets 
full. Will you come with us ?” 

Finocchio hesitated awhile before giving any 
reply, because he remembered the good Fairy, 
and old Gepetto, and the warnings of the Speak- 
ing Cricket. Finally he ended by doing as all 
boys do who have no heart or judgment, by 
shaking his head and saying to the Fox and 
the Cat, “All right! I will go with you.” And 
they started. 

After walking half a day they reached a city 
called Fools’ Trap. As sooon as he entered 
the city Pinocchio saw every street peopled 


Adventures of Pinocchto 89 

with lean dogs gaping with hunger, shorn sheep 
shivering with the cold, featherless hens begging 
for corn, large butterflies which could not fly 
because they had sold their brilliant wings, pea- 
cocks without tail-feathers who were ashamed 
to show themselves, and pheasants that sneaked 
around quietly, recollecting with sorrow their 
gorgeous golden and silver feathers, henceforth 
lost forever. 

In the midst of this crowd of beggars and poor 
despondents, a few stately carriages were pass- 
ing, occupied either by some Fox or Magpie 
or Bird of Prey. 

“And the Field of Miracles, where is it?” 
asked Pinocchio. 

“Two steps farther on,” said the Fox. 

And so it came to pass. They crossed the 
city, and stopped outside of the walls in a lonely 
field which looked very much like all the other 
fields. 

“Here we are,” said the Fox to the puppet. 
“Now stoop down and make a small hole in the 
ground with your hands and plant your gold 
coins.” 

Pinocchio obeyed. He dug a hole and put 
the gold coins in it. Then he covered the hole 
with earth. 


go Adventures of Pinocchio 

“Now then,” said the Fox, “go to that ditch 
and get a pailful of water and moisten the ground 
where you have planted the gold.” 

Pinocchio went to the ditch and as he did not 
have a bucket at hand he took off a slipper and 
filling it with water sprinkled the ground which 
covered his money. Then he asked: 

“Is there anything else to be done?” 

“Nothing more,” replied the Fox. “Now 
we can go away. In twenty minutes you can 
return and you will find a little tree sprouted 
from the soil and all the branches laden with 
coins. 

The poor puppet, almost frenzied with joy, 
thanked the Fox and the Cat a thousand times 
and promised them a beautiful gift. 

“We do not want any gift,” answered those 
two evil creatures. “We are satisfied with the 
pleasure of teaching you how to get rich without 
labour and fatigue, and we are as happy as 
possible.” 

Having said this, they bade Pinocchio fare- 
well, hoping that he would have a good harvest, 
and then they went away. 


CHAPTER XIX 


PINOCCHIO FOR BEING ROBBED IS PUNISHED 
BY A FOUR months' IMPRISONMENT 

T he puppet returned to the city and began 
to count the minutes one by one. And 
when it seemed to him that the time had come, 
he took the road once more that led to the Field 
of Miracles. And while he was walking along 
hurriedly his heart was beating loud and strong 
tic, tac, tic, tac, like a clock. Meanwhile he 
thought within himself: 

‘‘And if instead of one thousand, and if 
instead of two thousand I should find five thou- 
sand and if instead of five thousand I should 
find one hundred thousand ? Oh, what a fine 
gentleman I should be! I would have a beauti- 
ful palace, a thousand little wooden horses, and 
a thousand carriages and coach-houses to amuse 
me. I would have a cellar full of goodies, and 
a library full of candies and cakes and other 
sweets, to eat. 

Thus absorbed in wild fancies he arrived in 
the neighbourhood of the Field and halted to 
91 


92 


The Marvellous 


see if he could catch a glimpse of a tree with 
branches laden with gold coins; but he saw 
nothing. He took a hundred steps. Nothing. 
He entered the Field and went to the spot where 
he had buried the gold pieces. Again, nothing. 
And forgetting the Rules of Politeness and Good 
Breeding, he took his hands out of his pockets 
and scratched his head; 

Just then he heard a provoking laughter 
ringing in his ears, and looking upward he saw 
a Big Parrot in a tree who was shaking the dust 
out of his scant plumage. 

“Why do you laugh.?” asked Pinocchio, 
angrily. 

“I laugh because in cleaning my feathers, I 
caused a tickling under my wings.” 

The puppet did not reply. He went to the ditch 
and, filling his slipper, as before, with water, 
sprinkled the earth which covered the gold coins, 
when lo, he heard another peal of laughter more 
impertinent than the first, in the silent solitude 
of that Field. 

“Ill-bred Parrot!” cried Pinocchio, growing* 
wrathful. “How can one know what you are 
laughing about?” 

“I laugh at those simpletons who believe 
every foolish thing that is told them, and who 




Adventures of Pinocchio 93 

allow themselves to be trapped by those who are 
more crafty.” 

‘‘Are you speaking of me ?” 

“Yes, I mean you, poor Pinocchio, you who 
are so credulous that you can be made to believe 
that money can be planted in a field and gathered 
as one raises beans or cucumbers. I used to 
believe that once and to-day I suffer for it. Now, 
all too late, I am obliged to acknowledge that in 
order to make a little money honestly one must 
know how to earn it either by working with his 
hands or with his head. 

“I do not understand you,” said the puppet, 
who had begun to tremble with fear. 

“Patience! I will explain more clearly,” 
said the Parrot. “Know then that while you 
were in the city the Fox and the Cat came back 
to this Field; they stole the gold coins you had 
buried and then they fled like the wind. Any 
one who can overtake them is clever indeed 1” 

Pinocchio stood dumfounded; and refusing 
to believe what the Parrot had told him, he 
began with his hands and finger-nails to tear up 
the ground that he had watered. Dig, dig, dig 
— he made a hole so deep that a straw stack 
might have been placed in it; but the coins were 
no longer there. 


94 


The Marvellous 


Overwhelmed with despair he ran into the 
city and went directly to the court of justice and 
denounced to the magistrate the highwaymen 
who had robbed him. 

The Judge was a big Monkey of the Gorilla 
species. He was much respected for his great 
age and his white beard, and especially for his 
gold spectacle frames which he wore without 
any glasses in them. These he was obliged 
to wear on account of weak tear ducts which 
had given him weeping eyes for many years. 

Pinocchio related to the Judge every detail 
of the fraud of which he was the victim. He 
gave the names and a description of the rascals 
and ended by asking for justice. 

The Judge listened to him with great benig- 
nity. He took a lively interest in the 
narrative and[ became quite excited. When the 
puppet had nothing more to say the Judge 
stretched forth his hand and rang the bell. 

At that signal two large Bull Dogs entered, 
dressed like policemen. 

_The Judge, pointing to Pinocchio, said to 
them: 

“That poor little stupid has been robbed of 
four gold coins; seize him and put him in 
prison.” 


95 


Adventures of Pinocchio 

On hearing this sentence the puppet was so 
astonished that he stood thunderstruck. Then 
he began to protest; but the policemen, in order 
to avoid a useless waste of time put a muzzle 
over his mouth and took him to jail. And there 
he had to remain four months — four very long 
months; and he would have been detained even 
longer had it not been for a lucky circumstance. 
For the young Emperor who reigned in the city 
of Fools’ Trap having won a brilliant victory 
over his enemies, ordered a great public celebra- 
tion, illuminations, fireworks, races of Barbary 
horses with velocipedes, and as a sign of greater 
exultation, he ordered that the prisons be opened 
and all the ruffians set free. 

‘‘If the other prisoners are freed, I should be 
freed too,” said Pinocchio to the jailer. 

“Not you,” replied the jailer. “You are not 
a criminal.” 

“I beg your pardon,” answered Pinocchio. 
I am the worst ruffian of them all.” 

“In that case you have a thousand reasons, 
and taking off his cap respectfully and saluting 
him, the jailer opened the doors of the prison 
and let him go free. 


CHAPTER XX 


PINOCCHIO, LIBERATED FROM PRISON, STARTS 
ON HIS WAY TO THE HOUSE OF THE FAIRY. 
HE MEETS A SERPENT AND GETS INTO A 
TRAP 

J UST fancy the happiness of Pinocchio 
when he found himself free! 

He did not stop to think about it but left the 
city with all speed and took the road that led to 
the cottage of the Fairy. 

There had been rainy weather and the roads 
had become miry so that everybody was up 
to his knees in mud. But Pinocchio did not 
mind that. Eager to see his papa once more 
and his little sister with the blue hair he ran 
jumping along like a foxhound and in running 
the mud was splashed over his cap. Mean- 
time he went on saying to himself: 

“How many misfortunes I have had! But 
I deserve them. Because I am a stupid, fault- 
finding puppet, always wanting to do things my 
own way without giving any heed to those who 
love me and who have a thousand times better 

96 


Adventures of Pinocchio 97 

judgment than I. But henceforth I will change 
my behaviour and become a good and obedient 
boy. I have seen only too often that disobedient 
boys get the worst of it. And my poor papa! 
Is he waiting for me, I wonder ? Shall I find him 
at the house of the Fairy .? It is such a long time 
since I have seen that poor old man, I long to 
give him a thousand caresses and smother him 
with kisses. And the Fairy, will she pardon 
me for not heeding her warnings And to think 
that I received from her such loving care and 
attention; and to think that I owe it to her that 
I am alive to-day. Was there ever such an 
ungrateful and heartless boy as I 

At this point he stopped suddenly, in great 
fright and went backward several steps. 

What had he seen ? 

He had seen a great Serpent stretched across 
the road. It had a green skin, eyes of fire, and 
a pointed tail that smoked at the end like a 
chimney top. 

It is impossible to imagine the fear of the 
puppet who ran back nearly two thousand feet 
and sat down on a heap of stones waiting for 
the Serpent to go away about his own business 
and leave the road clear. 

He waited an hour; two hours; three hours. 


98 


The Marvellous 


But the Serpent did not move, and Pinocchio 
could see, even at a distance the flame of its 
fiery eyes and the column of smoke that rose 
from the point of its tail. 

Then Pinocchio, picking up his courage 
approached within a few steps of the Serpent 
and said in a feeble but sweet and insinuating 
voice: 

‘‘ Pardon me, Mr. Serpent, but would you be 
so kind as to move a little and let me pass.^^’ 

He might as well have talked to the wall. 
No one moved. 

Then the puppet began again in the same low 
voice: 

“You must know, Mr. Serpent, that I am on 
my way home where my papa is waiting for me. 
I have not seen him for a long time, so please 
let me continue my journey.” 

He waited for a responsive sign but no answer 
came; on the contrary the Serpent which, until 
that time, had seemed full of life became 
perfectly motionless and almost stiff. His eyes 
closed and the tail ceased to smoke. 

“Can he be really dead said Pinocchio, 
rubbing his hands with a feeling of intense relief. 
And without delay he drew himself up to leap 
over him that he might continue his journey. 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


99 


But before he could lift his foot the Serpent 
rose up suddenly like a spring unfastened; 
and the puppet drawing back from fright, 
stumbled and fell to the ground, heels over head, 
his feet in the air and his head in the mud. 

At the sight of that puppet, waving his feet 
wildly in the air the Serpent burst into a fit of 
laughter and he laughed, and laughed, and 
laughed — with such explosions of laughter that 
he ruptured a vein near the heart and really died. 

Then Pinocchio started on his journey again, 
running with all his might hoping to reach the 
home of the Fairy before dark. But he was 
nearly starved and being unable to resist the 
calls of hunger he jumped into a field to pluck 
a few bunches of grapes. Again ill luck awaited 
him. 

As soon as he found himself under the vine — 
crac — he felt his legs caught between two sharp 
irons which made him see all the stars that were 
in the heavens. 

The poor puppet was fast snared in a trap 
placed there by a peasant to catch some big 
polecats that were the scourge of all the fowls 
in the neighbourhood. 


CHAPTER XXI 


PINOCCHIO IS TAKEN BY A PEASANT WHO COM-i 
PELS HIM TO DO SERVICE AS A WATCHDOG 

P INOCCHIO, as you may well imagine, 
began to cry and scream. But it was of 
no use for there were no houses near enough to 
be seen and not a living soul was passing that 
way. 

In the meantime night came on. Owing 
partly to the pain caused by the trap cutting 
his ankles and partly to the fear of finding 
himself alone in the dark in the midst of those 
fields, the puppet nearly fainted. Just then a 
Fire-fly flew over his head and he called to it 
and said: 

‘‘Oh, little Fire-fly, would you do me the 
charity to free me from this torture 

“Poor child!” replied the Fire-fly, stopping 
and gazing pitifully at Pinocchio. “How did 
it happen that your legs were caught in the sharp 
teeth of that trap 

“ I came into the field to pluck two bunches of 
these muscatel grapes, and ” 


lOO 


Adventures of Pinocchio loi 

‘'But the grapes! Were they yours ?” 

“No/’ 

“Well, then, who has taught you to take other 
people’s goods?” 

“I was hungry.” 

“Hunger, my boy, is not a good reason for 
taking possession of things that do not belong 
to us ” 

“It is true! It is true!” cried Pinocchio, 
weeping. “And another time I would not do 
it.” 

At this point the conversation was interrupted 
by wary footsteps approaching. It was the 
master of the field who came on tiptoe to see if 
one of the polecats which had been stealing his 
chickens had been caught in the trap. 

Great was his astonishment when bringing 
out his lantern from under his mantle, to find 
that instead of a polecat, a boy had been caught 
in the trap. 

“Ah, you little thief,” said the farmer angrily, 
“then it is you that carries off my chickens?” 

“ I ? No ! I ? No ! ” cried Pinocchio, weep- 
ing. “I came into the field only to get two 
bunches of grapes.” 

“He who steals grapes is quite capable of 
stealing chickens also. You can count on me 


102 


The Marvellous 


to give you a lesson that you will remember a 
long time; and opening the iron trap he grasped 
the puppet by the nape of the neck, and carried 
him home just as a cat carries her kitten. 

On arriving at the threshing-floor in front of 
the house, he threw him down, and keeping one 
foot on his neck said: 

‘‘Now it is late and I want to go to bed. We 
will settle our accounts to-morrow*. Meantime 
the dog that watched our house has died. You 
shall take his place at once and be the watch- 
dog.’; 

Said, done. He took a big collar all covered 
with brass spikes and put it around Pinocchio’s 
neck and fastened it on so tightly that he could 
not take it oflF. There was a long, light, iron 
chain attached to the collar and the chain was 
secured to the wall. 

“ If it should begin to rain to-night,’’ said the 
farmer, “you can take shelter in this dog-house 
and lie down on the straw. It has served as a 
bed for my poor dog the last four years. And 
if robbers should come remember to keep your 
ears straight up and to bark.” 

After this last warning, the peasant entered 
his house closing his door with a heavy bolt; 
and poor Pinocchio remained squatting on the 


Adventures of Pinocchio 103 

threshold more dead than alive with fear and 
cold and hunger. From time to time he thrust 
his hands in a rage inside the collar which 
choked him, and said sobbing: 

^‘It serves me right. Indeed it serves me 
right. I have behaved like a vagabond. I have 
followed the advice of bad companions, and for 
this reason misfortune befalls me continually. 
Had I been a good boy, had I studied willingly 
and worked, had I stayed at home with my poor 
father, I should not find myself here in the midst 
of the fields, doing the work of a watch-dog, 
to the house of a peasant. Oh, if I could be 
born again and live my life all over! But 
patience! It is too late now.’’ 

After these penitent thoughts which really 
came from a contrite heart, Pinocchio went into 
the dog-house and fell asleep. 


CHAPTER XXII 


PINOCCHIO DISCOVERS THE ROBBERS AND IS 
REWARDED FOR HIS FIDELITY BY BEING 
SET AT LIBERTY 

P INOCCHIO slept profoundly more than 
two hours, when toward midnight he was 
awakened by a whispering and a psst — psst of 
strange, feeble voices. It appeared to come from 
the threshing-floor. Putting out the point of 
his nose from the door of the dog-house he saw 
four animals with black and white fur, resemb- 
ling cats, which were holding council. But they 
were not cats; they were polecats, carnivorous 
little animals which are very fond of eggs and 
young chickens. One of the polecats, leaving 
his companions, went to the door of the dog- 
house and said in a low voice: 

“Good evening, Melampo.’’ 

“My name is not Melampo,’’ replied the 
puppet. 

“Who are you then 
“I am Pinocchio.’’ 

“And what are you doing here 

104 


Adventures of Pinocchio 105 

‘‘I am doing the work of a watch dog.” 

‘‘And Melampo, where is he Where is 
the old dog that lived in this snug house.?” 

“He died this morning.” 

“Dead .? Poor beast! And he was so good. 
But judging from your looks you are also a well 
behaved dog.” 

“I beg your pardon — I am not a dog.” 

“What are you .?” 

“I am a puppet.” 

“And you serve the office of a watch dog?” 

“Alas, yes, as a punishment!” 

“Well, I wish to make the same agreement 
with you that I had with the late Melampo, 
and I hope you will be satisfied.” 

“And what is this agreement?” 

“We will come here once a week, as in the 
past, to visit this poultry-yard by night, and we 
will carry off eight chickens. Of these chickens 
we shall eat seven, ourselves, and we shall give 
you one, on the understanding, of course, that 
you pretend to sleep and do not take the whim 
to bark and wake up the farmer.” 

“And Melampo, did he really do so ?” asked 
Pinocchio. 

“Yes, that is what he did and there was always 
perfect accord between us and him. So, sleep 


lo6 The Marvellous 

tranquilly, and be assured that before going 
away we shall leave you a chicken all prepared 
for your breakfast to-morrow morning. Do 
you understand?’’ 

“Only too well!” replied Pinocchio; and he 
shook his head in a foreboding manner as if he 
meant to say: 

“After awhile we shall talk this over again.” 

When the four polecats felt that they were 
safe they went to the poultry-yard which was 
near the kennel and opened the little wooden 
door which closed the entrance with their teeth 
and paws. Then they slipped in one after 
another. But they had hardly entered when 
they heard the little door close again with great 
violence. 

It was Pinocchio who had closed the door and 
he was not satisfied with merely closing it; he 
placed a big stone against it as well, and propped 
it shut. And then he began to bark, and he 
barked precisely like a watchdog, bu 1 bu ! bu ! bu. 

At that barking the farmer sprang out of bed 
and seizing his gun he hurried to the window 
and asked: “What ’s the news ?” 

“Here are the robbers!” answered Pinocchio. 

“ Where are they ? ” 

“In the poultry-yard.” 


Adventures oj Pinocchto 107 

“I will come right down.’’ And in less 
time than it takes to say ‘‘Amen” the farmer 
descended; he entered the poultry-yard and 
after having caught the four polecats and tied 
them up in a sack, he said to them with genuine 
satisfaction: 

“At last you have fallen into my hands. I 
could punish you but I am not such a coward. 
I shall content myself, instead, by taking you 
to-morrow to the Innkeeper at the nearest village. 
He will skin you and cook you as he cooks a 
rabbit in sweet and strong sauce. It is an 
honour that you do not deserve but gener- 
ous men like me do not mind such trifling 
courtesies.” 

Then he approached Pinocchio and began to 
shower caresses upon him. 

‘‘How did you discover the plot of these four 
little thieves?” he asked. “And to think that 
my faithful Melampo never noticed anything 
wrong!” 

The puppet then might have told what he 
knew about the shameful agreement that had 
existed between the Dog and the polecats; 
but remembering that the Dog was dead he 
thought within himself : 

“The dead are dead. Why should I accuse 


Io8 Adventures of Pinocchio 

them ? The best thing that can be done is to 
leave them in peace.” 

‘‘Were you awake or asleep when the polecats 
came into the threshing yard?” the farmer 
asked. 

“I was asleep,” answered Pinocchio, “but 
the polecats awakened me with their prattle, 
and one came up to the dog-house and said to 
me: ‘If you will promise not to bark and not 
to wake up the master we will make you a pres- 
ent of a chicken with the feathers all plucked 
off and ready to eat. Do you understand?’ 
How could they dare to make me such a pro- 
posal ? I am only a puppet and it may be 
that I have all the faults of a puppet but I shall 
never lend myself to robbers nor hold the bag 
for thieves.” 

“Good boy!” cried the farmer, tapping him 
on the shoulder. “These sentiments do you 
honour and to show my gratitude to you I 
shall leave you free to go to your home.” 

And he took off the dog-collar. 


CHAPTER XXIII 


PINOCCHIO BEWAILS THE DEATH OF THE BEAUTI- 
FUL GIRL WITH THE BLUE HAIR. HE FINDS 
A PIGEON WHICH TAKES HIM TO THE SEA- 
BEACH 

3 SOON as Pinocchio was relieved from 



the weight of that hard and humiliating 
dog-collar he began to run across the fields and 
did not stop a single minute until he reached the 
high road that would lead him to the cottage of 
the Fairy. 

When he came to the high road he turned to 
look down on the plain below. He could see 
very well with the naked eye the forest where he 
had unfortunately encountered the Fox and the 
Cat. He saw towering amid the trees the top 
of the Grand Oak to which they had hanged 
him. But looking here and looking there he 
could not see the little house of the Beautiful 
Girl with the blue hair. 

Then a sad foreboding filled his heart. He 
started to run with all the strength that remained 
in his legs and in a few minutes he found him- 


no 


The Marvellous 


self on the meadow where once stood the little 
white cottage. But the white cottage was 
there no longer. There was, instead, a marble 
slab on which one could read the following 
sorrowful words: 


HERE LIES 

The Little Girl with the Blue Hair 

WHO DIED OF GRIEF 
FOR HAVING BEEN ABANDONED BY HER 

Little Brother Pinocchio 

How the puppet felt after he had looked at 
those words and somehow guessed out their 
meaning, I leave to your imagination. He 
fell on his face and, covering that marble slab 
with a thousand kisses, burst forth in loud 
lamentations. All night long he cried; and he 
cried all the next morning; and he kept on cry- 
ing until he had no more tears left. And his 
shrieks and wailings were so heart-rending that 
all the hills around repeated the echo of them. 

“Oh, my little Fairy,” he cried, “why did you 
die .? Why did I not die instead of you } I am 
so naughty and you were so good. And my 
poor papa, where can he be } Oh, my little 
Fairy, tell me where I can find him for I want to 
stay with him always, and never leave him 
again, never — never — never. Oh, my little 


Adventures of Pinocchio ill 

Fairy tell me that it is not true that you are 
dead ! If you care for me truly — if you love 
your little brother, come back to life; return to 
me alive as before! Are you not sorry to see me 
abandoned by everybody ? If the Assassins 
come they will hang me again to the branch of 
a tree and I shall die forever. Now that I have 
lost my papa and you, who will give me any- 
thing to eat ? Where shall I go to sleep ? Who 
will make me a new jacket ? Oh it would be 
better, a hundred times better, that I should die, 
too. Yes, I want to die! ih! ih! ih!” 

In this state of despair he would gladly have 
torn his hair out. But his hair being wooden 
he could not even have the satisfaction of run- 
ning his fingers through it. 

Meanwhile a large Pigeon circling in the air 
stopped a moment and poising on wide-spread 
wing« called to him from a great height: 

‘‘Tell me, child, what are you doing down 
there.?” 

“ Do you not see .? I am crying,” said Pinoc- 
chio, lifting his head toward the voice and 
wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. 

“Tell me, then,” continued the Pigeon,“do 
you not know among your companions a puppet 
whose name is Pinocchio.?” 


II2 


The Marvellous 


** Pinocchio ? Did you say Pinocchio ? ” cried 
the puppet, rising suddenly to his feet. “I am 
Pinocchio!” 

On hearing this reply the Pigeon flew swiftly 
to the ground. He was larger than a turkey. 

“Then you must know Gepetto.f*” he said 
inquiringly to the puppet. 

“ Do I know him He is my poor papa. 
Has he spoken to you about me } Will you 
take me to him Is he still alive Answer 
me for the sake of mercy; is he still alive ?” 

“I left him three days ago on the sea-beach.” 

“What was he doing 

“He was making a little boat for himself in 
which to cross the ocean. The poor man has 
been travelling about the world during the last 
four months in search of you. And not having 
found you he has made up his mind to look for 
you in the far away places of the new world.” 

“How far is it from here to the sea-beach ?” 
asked Pinocchio with tender anxiety. 

“Six-hundred and twenty-one miles.” 

“Six-hundred and twenty-one miles! Oh, 
my Pigeon, if I only had your wings what a fine 
thing it would be for me!” 

“ I will take you there if you want to go.” 

“How?” 


Adventures of Pinocchu 


113 


‘‘On my back. Are you very heavy ?” 

“Heavy? No. On the contrary I am as 
light as a leaf.” 

And then without another word, Pinocchio 
jumped on the back of the Pigeon astride, 
just as a riding-master would do, and shouted 
merrily, 

“Gallop, gallop, gallop, little horse, for I 
am in a great hurry.” 

Away flew the Pigeon, up and up until he 
nearly reached the clouds. At that extraordi- 
nary height the puppet had the curiosity to look 
down. And he became so frightened and so 
dizzy that he twined his arms closely around 
the neck of his feathery horse. 

They flew all day long. Toward evening the 
Pigeon said: 

“I am very thirsty.” 

“And I am very hungry,” said Pinocchio. 

“Let us stop a few minutes at this pigeon- 
house and afterward we will resume our journey, 
and to-morrow, at dawn, we shall be on the 
beach by the sea.” 

They entered a deserted pigeon-house where 
was only a basin full of water and a small basket 
full of chick-peas. 

In all his life the puppet never had learned 


114 


The Marvellous 


to like chick-peas. He thought they caused 
him to be ill. But that evening he ate so many 
that he was ready to burst and then he turned 
to the Pigeon and said, would never have 
believed that chick-peas were so good.” 

“When there is nothing else to eat, you must, 
my boy^ make yourself believe that chick-peas 
are delicacies,” said the Pigeon. “Real hunger 
is not dainty. It has no whims.” 

Having eaten their hasty meal they resumed 
their journey, and away they flew. 

The next morning they arrived at the 
sea-coast. 

The Pigeon put Pinocchio down on the 
ground and being too modest to care for thanks 
and compliments for the good service he had 
done, off he flew and was lost to sight. 

The beach swarmed with people who howled 
and gesticulated, looking toward the sea. 

“What has happened?” asked Pinocchio 
of a little old dame. 

“This has happened. A poor old daddy, 
having lost his little son, has gone out in a 
small boat to search for him. But the sea 
is very rough and the little boat is on the point 
of sinking.” 

“Where is the little boat?” 



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Adventures of Pinocchii. 


I15 


“There it is, in the direction of my finger,” 
said the aged woman, pointing to a small boat 
which, seen at that distance, seemed a nut- 
shell with a tiny man in it. 

Pinocchio stared at the boat and after gazing 
attentively uttered a shrill cry: 

“That is my papa! That is my papa!” 

In the meantime the little boat, tossed about 
by the fury of the waves, disappeared for a 
moment between the high billows and then 
floated up again; and Pinocchio, standing 
on the top point of a high rock, never ceased 
to call his father by name and to make him 
many signals with his hands. He waved his 
pocket handkerchief and took off his cap and 
waved that. 

Although Ge petto was so far away from 
the beach, he recognised his son, so he took 
his cap also and saluted Pinocchio and made 
gesticulations to show that he wanted to come 
to the shore but was prevented by the angry 
waves. 

All at once came a terrible billow, and the 
boat disappeared. They waited for the boat 
to float up again but it was seen no more. 

“Poor man!” said the fishermen who had 
gathered on the shore; and mumbling a prayer 


Il6 Adventures of Pinocchio 

they turned to go home, when lo! they heard 
a desperate cry, and looking back they saw a 
little boy throw himself from the top of a rock 
into the sea, crying out, ‘‘I want to save my 
papa/^ 

Pinocchio, being all of wood, floated easily 
and swam like a fish. At times he disappeared 
under the water carried down by the sinking 
of the waves. And at times he reappeared 
with a leg or an arm out of the water at a great 
distance from the land. At last they lost 
sight of him and he was not seen again. 

‘‘Poor boy!’’ said the fishermen and mum- 
bling a prayer for him, as they had done for his 
father, went on to their homes. 


CHAPTER XXIV 


PINOCCHIO ARRIVES AT THE ISLAND OF THE 
INDUSTRIOUS BEES AND FINDS THE FAIRY 
AGAIN 

P INOCCHIO, animated by the hope of 
arriving in time to aid his poor papa, 
swam all night long. 

And what a horrible night that was! It 
rained a deluge, it hailed, it thundered fright- 
fully and with such flashes of lightning that 
it seemed as bright as day. 

Early in the morning he saw a long strip of 
land not far away. It was an island in the 
middle of the sea. 

Then he did his best to reach that shore 
but in vain. The waves, following each other 
in rapid succession and piling up on one another, 
tossed him about between them as if he were 
a straw. 

At last, and luckily for him, there came a 
billow so powerful and impetuous that it 
hurled him on the sand of the shore. He 
struck the ground with such force that all his 


Ii8 The Marvellous 

ribs and joints cracked, but he consoled him- 
self saying: 

“I have had a miraculous escape!’’ 

Meantime, little by little, the sky cleared; 
the sun came out in all its splendour, and the 
sea became quiet and smooth as oil. 

Then the puppet spread out his clothes in 
the sun to dry and began to watch the sea 
anxiously hoping to find on that immense 
watery plain a small boat with a little man 
in it. All he saw was the sky, the sea, and 
a ship so far away that it seemed a fly. 

“ I wonder what the name of this island is,” 
he said to himself. “ I wonder if it is inhabited 
by polite people who do not hang boys to the 
branches of trees. But how can I ask any 
one if nobody lives here?” 

The idea of finding himself alone, alone, 
alone in that great uninhabited country was 
appalling and he began to cry, when, suddenly, 
he saw a large Fish swimming at as hort distance. 
The Fish v/as going quietly on his way with 
his head above water. The puppet shouted 
in a high tone, so as to make himself heard : 

‘‘Hello, Mr. Fish, I want to speak a word 
with you.” 

“You can have two words with me,” 


Adventures of Pinocchio I19 

answered the Fish, which was a Dolphin and 
so polite that you could not find another like 
him in any sea. 

“Will you please tell me if there is a village 
on this island where one can find something 
to eat without danger of being eaten 

“Certainly,” replied the Dolphin. “I found 
such a village not far from here.” 

“And what road shall I take to go there ?” 

“You must take that lane on the left and 
follow your nose. You cannot mistake it.” 

“Tell me another thing. You who stroll 
all the day and all the night about the sea, 
have you perchance come across a small boat 
with my father in it?” 

“And who is your father?” 

“He is the kindest father in the world as 
I am the naughtiest son living.” 

“His boat must have gone down last night 
in that furious storm,” answered the Dolphin. 

“And my papa?” 

“By this time the terrible Shark has swal- 
lowed him — the Shark that has been exter- 
minating everything in these waters and 
causing desolation.” 

“Is it a very big Shark?” asked Pinocchio, 
who was trembling with fear. 


120 


The Marvellous 


Ayty it is big,” said the Dolphin. “To 
give you an idea of its size I must tell you that 
it is larger than a five-story house. It has 
a big ugly mouth so broad and so deep that a 
whole railroad train with the steam-engine 
can pass through it.” 

The puppet was so frightened that he uttered 
a cry of fear. 

“Good bye, Mr. Fish,” he said; “ pray excuse 
me for the trouble I have made you and a 
thousand thanks for your courtesy.” 

So saying Pinocchio took the narrow lane 
and began to walk with a quick step, so quick 
that he seemed to run. Every time he heard 
a noise he turned around and looked back 
expecting to see himself followed by the terrible 
Shark as large as a five-story house, and with 
a mouth large enough to hold a railroad train 
with a locomotive attached. 

After running along more than half an 
hour, he came to the little village. It was 
called the “Village of the Industrious Bees.” 
The streets were crowded with people that 
ran here and there each man intent on his own 
business. Everybody was hard at work and all 
had something to do. 

“This is not the place for me!” said that 


Adventures of Pinocchio I2I 

lazy little fellow, Pinocchio. ‘‘I was not born 
to work.’’ 

Meanwhile he was tormented with hunger; 
for twenty-four hours had elapsed since he had 
had anything to eat, not even a portion of chick- 
peas. 

What was to be done ? He had to choose 
between two methods of getting food. He 
could ask for work, or beg for bread or a penny 
to buy it. 

He was ashamed to beg because his father 
had always told him that only old people and 
the infirm had a right to beg. All others are in 
duty bound to work. And if they will not work, 
and so suffer hunger, they deserve no sympathy. 

At that moment a man passed through the 
street quite out of breath. He was drawing 
with great effort, two carts filled with coal, the 
perspiration rolling down his face. Pinocchio, 
judging by his countenance that he was a good 
man, approached him and, lowering his eyes 
for shame, said in a low voice: 

Would you do me the charity to give me 
a penny for I am starving. 

‘‘ Not only one cent but I will gladly give you 
four if you will help me pull these carts as 
far as my house.’’ 


122 


The Marvellous 


“I am surprised!” answered the puppet, 
almost offended. ‘‘I have never taken the 
place of a donkey. I never pulled a cart.” 

“It would have been better for you if you 
had!” retorted the coal man. “Then, my boy, 
if you are really starving, eat two big slices of 
your pride, and take care that it does not give 
you indigestion.” 

In a few moments another man, a mason, 
came along who was carrying a basket of lime. 

“Good man,” said Pinocchio, “would you 
do the charity to give a penny to a poor boy 
who is starving with hunger.?” 

“Gladly; come along with me and help 
carry this lime. I will give you five pennies 
instead of one,” answered the mason. 

“But lime is heavy,” said Pinocchio, “and 
I do not like to get tired.” 

“If you do not want to get tired, my boy, 
amuse yourself by yawning with hunger and 
may it do you good. Farewell!” 

In less than half an hour twenty other persons 
passed along and Pinocchio addressed each one 
with a petition for alms. But they all answered : 

“Are you not ashamed to go around begging 
like a blockhead .? Go and ask for some work 
and earn your living.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 123 

At last a kind woman passed by, who was 
carrying two jars of water. 

“Will you please give me a drink of water, 
kind lady,” said Pinocchio, for he was very 
thirsty. 

“Gladly, my child! Drink!” said the wo- 
man, placing her jars on the ground. 

Pinocchio drank like a sponge. Then, wip- 
ing his mouth, he muttered in a low tone: 

“Oh, I am so hungry! If I could only have 
something to eat!” 

The good little woman on hearing these 
words, said immediately: 

“If you will help me to carry home one 
of these jars of water I will give you a piece 
of good bread.” 

Pinocchio looked at the jars of water but 
did not answer “Yes” or “No.” 

“And with the bread I will give you a plate 
of cauliflower, seasoned with oil and vinegar,” 
said the good woman. 

Pinocchio gave another look at the jar but 
did not answer “Yes” or “No.” 

“And after the cauliflower, I will give you 
a sugar-plum full of sweet syrup.” 

Pinocchio could not resist the seductions of the 
bonbon and gathering up his courage he said: 


124 


The Marvellous 


“I must have patience. I will carry the 
pitcher home for you.” 

The pitcher was heavy, and the puppet, not 
having sufficient strength to carry it with 
his hands, took it on his head with great 
resignation. 

On reaching home, the woman made Pin- 
occhio sit down at a little table already pre- 
pared, and put before him the bread, the 
cauliflower, and the bonbon. Pinocchio did 
not eat. He gorged. His stomach seemed to 
be a quarter that had been vacant for five 
months. Having, little by little, stilled the 
griping pangs of hunger, he lifted his head to 
thank his benefactress He gazed at her 
face, which seemed familiar, and he had not 
finished gazing when he uttered a long cry of 
surprise, ‘‘Oh-h-h-h!” There he sat with 
his eyes wide open, his fork in the air, and 
his mouth full of bread and cauliflower. 

The woman laughed. “What is the cause 
of all this astonishment.'*” she asked. 

It is, it is,” replied Pinocchio, stammering, 
“it is, it is that you look exactly like, yes, 
yes, yes, you have blue hair, yes, yes, yes, you 
have the same voice, you look just like her! 
Oh my little Fairy! Oh my little Fairy! Tell 


Adventures of Pinocchio 125 

me that it is you, really you!” Do not make 
me cry any more! If you only knew! I cried 
so much! I suffered so much!” 

And in so saying Pinocchio wailed piteously 
and throwing himself on his knees, he clasped 
his arms around that mysterious little woman. 


CHAPTER XXV 


PINOCCHIO PROMISES THE FAIRY TO BE GOOD 
AND TO STUDY BECAUSE HE IS TIRED OF 
BEING A PUPPET AND WANTS TO BECOME 
A REAL BOY 

T FIRST the good little woman did not 



1 \. acknowledge that she was the Fairy 
with the blue hair. But seeing that she was 
recognised by Pinocchio, and not wanting to 
prolong the comedy, she ended by admitting 
her identity and said to the marionette: 

‘‘You rascal of a puppet! How could you 
tell that it was I ? ” 

“It was the great love that I have for you 
that told me.’’ 

“You recognise me and yet you left me a 
little girl; you recollect, do you not ? And 
now you find me a woman, old enough to be 
your mother.” 

“Yes, I remember the Girl with the blue hair, 
and that I hold dear, because, instead of Little 
Sister, I shall call you Mother. Oh, for what 
a long time I have wanted a mother, like other 


Adventures of Pinocchio 127 

boys. But how did you manage to grow so 
quickly ?” 

‘‘That is a secret.” 

“Teach the secret to me. I want to grow 
a little. Do you not see that I have always 
remained as high as a cut of cheese V* 

“But you cannot grow,” replied the Fairy. 

“Why.?” 

“ Because puppets never grow. They are born 
puppets, they live puppets, and die puppets.” 

“Oh, I am so tired of being a puppet! 
Always a puppet!” cried out Pinocchio, thump- 
ing himself on the head. “It is time for me 
to be a man.” 

“And you will become a man if you learn how 
to deserve it!” 

“ Really ? And what can I do to deserve it .? ” 

“It is a very easy thing to do. Accustom 
yourself to being a good little boy.” 

“ Am I not a good boy now .? ” 

“By no means! Good boys are obedient 
and you instead ” 

“And I never obey.” 

“Good boys like to study and to work but 
you ” 

“I am a loafer, a vagabond all the year 
round.” 


128 


The Marvellous 


“Good boys always tell the truth ” 

“And I always tell falsehoods.” 

“Good boys go to school willingly ” 

“But school gives me the stomach ache. 
However, from this day henceforth I will be 
different.” 

“ Do you promise it ? ” 

“ I promise it. I want to become a good little 
boy and a consolation to my papa. Oh, where 
is he now.? My poor papa!” 

“I cannot say.” 

“ Shall I ever have the good fortune of seeing 
him again and giving him a hug?” 

“Yes, I believe you will. I am quite sure of 
it.” 

At this answer Pinocchio was so glad that 
he seized the hands of the Fairy and covered 
them with kisses. He seemed almost crazy 
with joy. Lifting up his face and gazing at her 
lovingly he said: “Tell me, little Mamma, it is 
not true, is it, that you are dead ?” 

“It seems not,” replied the Fairy, smiling. 

“ If you knew what pain I suffered when I 
saw: ‘Here lies 

“I know it. And it is for that reason I have 
pardoned you. The sincerity of your grief 
made me know that you had a good heart. 


Adventures of Pinocchii 


129 


If a boy has a good heart, you can hope some- 
thing from him even if he is roguish. There 
is always the hope that he may return to the 
true road. That is why I have come so far to 
look for you. I will be your mamma.” 

‘‘Oh, what a fine thing!” cried Pinocchio, 
jumping with joy. 

“You shall obey me and do what I tell you.” 

“Willingly, willingly, willingly!” 

“To-morrow you shall begin to go to school.” 

Pinocchio, at once, became a little less merry. 

“Then you shall choose a trade or a profes- 
sion of your liking.” 

Pinocchio became very grave. 

“What are you muttering through your 
teeth?” asked the Fairy in accents of reproof. 

“ I was saying,” moaned the puppet in a low 
tone, “that it seems a little late, now, to go to 
school.” 

“No sir! Remember that it is never too late 
to learn.” 

“But I do not want to learn a trade or 
profession.” 

“Why?” 

“Because it fatigues me to work.” 

“My boy,’’ said the Fairy, “those who talk 
that way always end in the jail or the hospital.” 


130 Adventures of Pinocchio 

A man, mind you, be he rich or poor, is obliged 
in this world to work at something. Woe to 
him who is lazy! Idleness is an ugly disease: 
and it must not be allowed to take root in child- 
hood, for when you are grown up, it cannot be 
cured.’’ 

These words touched the soul of Pinocchio, 
Lifting up his head quickly he said to the Fairy: 

‘‘I will study, I will work, I will do all that 
you tell me; I am disgusted with the life of a 
puppet, and I want to become a real boy. You 
promised it to me; is it not true 

“I have promised it, and now it all depends 
upon you.” 


CHAPTER XXVI 


PINOCCHIO GOES WITH HIS SCHOOLMATES TO 
THE SEASHORE TO SEE THE TERRIBLE SHARK 

HE next day Pinocchio went to school. 



X Fancy those rascally boys when they saw 
a puppet in their school. There was one 
continuous roar of laughter. One boy played 
him a trick; another made faces at him. One 
took his cap out of his hands. One pulled his 
jacket from behind and another tried to paint 
a pair of moustaches under his nose with ink; 
and some of them even dared to tie strings to 
his hands and feet to make him dance as puppets 
do in puppet-shows. 

For a while Pinocchio took it calmly and went 
on, but at last, losing his patience, he turned to 
those who were teasing him and said sternly: 

‘‘Take care, boys; I have not come here to be 
your buffoon. I respect others and I require 
others to respect me.’’ 

“Bravo! You have spoken like a book!” 
shouted the rogues, distorted with mad laughter, 
and one of them, more impertinent than the 


The Marvellous 


132 

others, put his hand forward in an attempt to 
catch the puppet by the nose. 

But he was not quick enough, for Pinocchio 
thrust out his leg under the desk and gave him 
a kick on the shin-bone. 

“Oh! what hard feetP' cried the boy, rub- 
bing the bruise the puppet had made. 

“And what hard elbows; harder than his 
feet!’' cried another who for his impudence 
had received a punch in the ribs. 

The fact is that by kicking and punching, 
Pinocchio, at once, gained the esteem of all 
the boys in school, and they gave him many 
friendly attentions and liked him very well. 

The schoolmaster, too, praised him because 
he was so studious and intelligent, always the 
first to enter school in the morning and the last 
to leave in the afternoon. 

The greatest fault he had was having too 
many companions; and among these there were 
several well known for shirking their lessons. 
The master warned him every day; and the 
good Fairy did not fail to repeat the advice: 

“Take care, Pinocchio! Those bad com- 
panions will sooner or later make you lose your 
love of study and perhaps, will bring some great 
misfortune on you.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


133 


‘'There is no danger,” answered the puppet, 
shrugging his shoulders and he touched the 
middle of his forehead with his forefinger as 
if to say: “There is good judgment here.” 

Now it happened one fine day while he was 
walking toward the school, he met a crowd of 
bad companions who said to him: 

“Have you heard the news 
“No.” 

“A Shark as large as a mountain has been 
seen in the sea near here. 

“Indeed! Can it be that same Shark that 
was seen at the time that my poor father was 
drowned.^” 

“We are going to the beach to see it. Will 
you come along ” 

“Not I. I want to go to school.” 

“The school! What does it matter to you 
We shall go to school to-morrow. With a few 
lessons more or a few less, we shall always 
remain the same donkeys.” 

“And the teacher! What will he say.?*” 

“The teacher! Let him talk. He is paid to 
growl at boys.” 

“And my mamma.?” 

“ Mammas never know anything,” said those 
bad boys. 


134 Adventures of Pinocchio 

“ Do you know what I shall do ? ” said Pinoc- 
chio ? “ For certain reasons of my own I want 

to see the Shark very much. I shall go to see 
it after school.’’ 

‘‘Poor dummy!” retorted one of the boys. 
“Do you believe that a fish of that size will 
stay there to await your leisure } As soon as 
it feels tired of that place it will go to some 
other part, and then, good bye!” 

“How much time does it take to go to the 
beach?” asked the puppet. 

“We can go there and back in an hour.” 

“Well then — away! and he who runs fastest 
is ablest,” shouted Pinocchio. 

At that signal the little cheats, with their 
books under their arms, began to run across the 
fields. Pinocchio, always ahead, seemed to have 
wings on his feet. 

Looking back from time to time, he ridiculed 
his companions who could not keep up with him. 
Seeing them panting and out of breath, dusty 
and with their tongues out, he laughed aloud. 
The unlucky fellow did not know what misfor- 
tunes he was to encounter. 


CHAPTER XXVII 


PINOCCHIO FIGHTS IN SELF-DEFENCE AND HAS 
AN ADVENTURE WITH POLICEMEN 

A rriving at the beach, Pinocchio gave 
a searching look at the sea; but he saw 
no Shark. The sea was smooth like a great 
mirror. 

“Where is the Shark.?” he asked, turning to 
his companions. 

“He may have gone to take breakfast,” 
answered one of them, laughing. 

“Or he may have lain down on the bed to 
sleep,” rejoined another, laughing more loudly. 

From such meaningless replies and the 
stupid laughter, Pinocchio understood that his 
companions had fooled him, making him believe 
a thing that was not true; and taking it ill, he 
said in an angry tone: 

“And now what pleasure have you found 
in telling me the story of the Shark .?” 

“It made fun for us,” replied the rascals in 
a chorus. 

“Where is the fun .?” 


*35 


136 


The Marvellous 


“ The fun ? Making you miss school and hav- 
ing you along with us. Are you not ashamed to 
be so precise, going to school every day and 
working so diligently at your lessons ? Are you 
not ashamed to study so hard V* 

“And if I study, what does it matter to you ?” 

“It matters a great deal because you make 
us cut a bad figure with the teacher.” 

“Why.?” 

“ Because the scholars that study always 
make us appear at a disadvantage; and we do 
not want to suffer by comparison ?” 

“What must I do to please you .?” 

“You must show your dislike for the school, 
the lessons, and the teacher, which are our 
three great enemies.” 

“But what if I prefer to continue to study ?” 

“We will not look at you or speak to you, and 
at the first opportunity you shall pay up for it.” 

“You make me laugh,” said the puppet, with 
a shake of the head. 

“E-hi, Pinocchio,” shouted the biggest of 
the boys, peering up in his face impudently. 
“Do not come here to bully us. Do not come 
here to be so pert, for if you are not afraid of us 
neither are we afraid of you. Remember you 
are alone and we are seven.” 


Adventures of Ptnocchio 


137 


‘‘The Seven Deadly Sins,” said Pinocchio, 
bursting into laughter. 

“Did you hear that? He has called us the 
Seven Deadly Sins!” said one of the boys. 
“ Pinocchio, beg our pardon for the offence — 
if you do not, woe be to you!” 

“Cuckoo!” said the puppet, tapping his nose 
with his forefinger by way of ridicule. 

“Pinocchio, beware!” 

“Cuckoo!” 

“You shall get as many lashes as a donkey.” 

“Cuckoo!” 

“You shall return home with a broken nose!” 

“Cuckoo!” 

“ Now, I ’ll give it to you ! ” shouted the most 
daring of those rogues. “Take this on account 
until I am ready to give you the rest, and eat it 
for your supper this evening.” And in saying 
this he punched Pinocchio’s head. 

But it was tit for tat. As was to be expected, 
the puppet replied at once with a blow of the fist, 
and there and then the fight became general 
and furious. 

Pinocchio, though alone, defended himself 
like a hero. With those feet of hard wood he 
managed to keep his foes at a respectful distance. 
Wherever he could reach them with his feet he 


The Marvellous 


138 

left a bruise as a souvenir. The boys became 
more and more angry. Not being able to meet 
him in a hand to hand fight they began to look 
for missiles to throw at him, and undoing their 
parcels of school-books began to hurl their 
grammars and readers and spelling-books at 
him. They had story books, The Tales of 
Thouar and the Young Chicken and other 
Tales. They threw those at him and all of 
their school-books. But the puppet who had a 
quick eye and had grown resentful, always 
avoided the pelting so that the volumes, passing 
over his head, fell into the sea. 

F ancy the astonishment of the fishes ! Believ- 
ing that the books were something to eat, they 
came up in shoals to the surface of the water; 
but after taking a bite of the leaves and the 
frontispiece, they quickly spat it out, making 
grimaces with their mouths as much as to say: 

“No such stuff for us! We are accustomed 
to better food.” 

The battle was becoming desperate when be- 
hold, a large Crab that had come out of the water 
quietly, quietly, crav/ling on the beach shrieked 
with a voice like a rough trombone that had 
caught cold: 

“Stop that fighting, you rascals, for you are 


Adventures of Pinocchio 139 

nothing else! These hand to hand fights 
between boys rarely end well. Some misfortune 
always happens!’^ 

Poor Crab. He might as well have preached 
to the wind. Pinocchio, turning around to 
look at him in a surly manner, said most 
impolitely: 

“Hold your tongue, you tiresome Crab. 
You would do better to suck seaweed lozenges 
to cure that cold in your throat! Go to bed and 
try to perspire!” 

In the meantime, the boys who had thrown 
all their own books, happened to see at a little 
distance the bundle of books belonging to 
Pinocchio and seized them instantly. 

Among these books was a volume bound in 
cardboard with back and corners covered with 
sheepskin. It was a treatise on arithmetic. 
I leave you to imagine how very heavy it was. 
One of the rascals seized that volume and taking 
aim at the head of Pinocchio, threw it with all 
the strength he had in his arms. But instead of 
hitting the puppet, he struck one of his com- 
panions on the head, and the boy fell on the 
ground as white as a linen cloth, and uttered 
only these words: 

“Oh, my mamma, help me, for I am dying!” 


140 


The Marvellous 


Then he stretched out, as if dead, on the 
sand. 

Supposing their little companion to be dead, 
the frightened boys took to their heels as fast as 
they could and in a few minutes were out of 
sight. But Pinocchio remained though he was 
more dead than alive through fear and grief. 

He ran with haste to wet his handkerchief in 
the sea-water and began to bathe the fore- 
head of his unfortunate schoolmate. 

Meanwhile, he was crying bitterly and in 
despair he called the little boy by name. 

“Eugene! My poor Eugene!’’ he said, 
“ Open your eyes and look at me ! Why do you 
not answer ? You know that it was not I who 
hurt you. Open your eyes, Eugene! If you 
keep your eyes closed I shall die, too! Woe is 
me! How can I ever go home.? With what 
courage can I face my good mother ? What will 
become of me .? Where shall I go .? Where can 
I hide myself.? Oh, how much better, a thou- 
sand times better, had I gone to school! Why 
did I listen to those companions who are my 
ruin .? My teacher often said to me and my 
dear mamma repeated it: ‘ Beware of bad com- 
panions!’ But I am a stubborn, obstinate 
fellow. I let every one give me good advice 


Adventures of Pinocchio 1 41 

and then I always do as I please! Then I have 
to atone for it and so I have never had a quarter 
of an hour of happiness in all my life. My faith, 
what will become of me What will become of 
me? What will become of me?^’ 

And Pinocchio continued to cry and moan, 
striking his head and calling on the poor Eugene. 
Suddenly he heard the noise of approaching 
steps. He turned and there he saw two 
policemen. 

‘‘What are you doing there?” they asked 
Pinocchio. 

“I am trying to help this schoolmate of 
mine.” 

“Has he been taken ill ?” 

“It seems so.” 

“ Aye I More than ill I ” said one of the police- 
men, stooping down and observing Eugene 
closely. “This boy has been wounded in the 
head. Who has hurt him?” 

“Not I!” stuttered the puppet, hardly 
able to catch his breath. 

“If you did not wound him, who did ?” 

“Not I!” repeated Pinocchio. 

“And with what was he wounded ?” 

“With this book.” And the puppet gathered 
up the treatise on arithmetic bound in card- 


142 


The Marvellous 


board and sheepskin, and showed it to the 
policeman. 

“And to whom does this hook belong 

“It is mine.” 

“That is enough. We need no more proof 
of your guilt. Get up at once and come along 
with us.” 

«But I ” 

“Come along with us!” 

“But I am innocent ” 

“Come along with us!” 

Before starting, the policemen called some 
fishermen who were passing with their boat, 
and said to them: 

“We entrust this little boy to you. He is 
wounded in the head. Take him to your home 
and care for him. To-morrow we will return 
to see him.” 

Then they turned to Pinocchio, and taking 
him between them, gave the command in military 
tones: 

“Forward! March! And walk quickly or 
it will be the worse for you.” 

The puppet did not wait for a second order, 
and began to walk with them through the lane 
that led to the village. But the poor child was 
so dazed that he no longer knew where he was. 


Adventures of Pinocchio 143 

It was like a dream to him and what an ugly 
dream! He was almost beside himself. His 
eyes saw double. His legs trembled. His 
tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He 
could not utter a single word. And yet, in the 
midst of his stupefaction, a thorn pierced him 
to the heart. It was the thought of having to 
pass under the window of his good Fairy in the 
company of policemen. He would rather have 
died. 

They had arrived at the village and were 
about to enter when a worrying gust of wind 
lifted Pinocchio’s cap from his head and whirled 
it along the road some distance back of them. 

“Will you please let me get my cap asked 
the puppet. 

“Yes, go; but be quick about it.” 

The puppet ran back and picked up the 
cap, but he did not put it on his head. He 
took it between his teeth and began to run 
toward the sea. He flew like a shot from a 
musket. The policemen, judging that it would 
be difficult to overtake him, set a big dog after 
him, a dog that had taken the first prize at all 
the dog races. Pinocchio ran and the dog ran 
faster than he. All the people looked out of 
the windows and crowded into the middle 


144 Adventures of Pinocchio 

of the street, anxious to see the end of such 
an exciting race. 

But they were disappointed because the dog 
and Pinocchio raised such a whirlwind of dust 
that in a few minutes they could not be seen. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


PINOCCHIO ESCAPES THE FRYING PAN 

D uring that desperate race there was a 
terrible moment — a moment in which 
Pinocchio believed himself lost, because, it 
must be known, that Alidoro, the Dog, ran so 
swiftly that he had almost overtaken him. 
The puppet felt behind him the warm breath of 
that ugly beast and could hear his anxious pant- 
ing a few inches distant. 

Luckily the beach was very near and the 
sea was within a few steps. On reaching the 
water the puppet leaped nimbly, just as a frog 
would have done, and plunged into the waves. 
Alidora wanted to stop but, hurled on by the 
impetus of the race, plunged also into the water. 

And that unlucky creature did not know how 
to swim; so he began to paw with his fore-legs 
to keep afloat; but the more he pawed the 
deeper his head went under the water. 

When he came up again and his head was 
out of water, the poor Dog rolled his eyes with 
fright, and yelping, he cried: 

*45 


146 


The Marvellous 


“I drown! I drown!” 

“Drown, yes, do drown!” shouted Pinocchio 
from afar, seeing himself out of danger. 

“Help me, dear Pinocchio! Save me from 
death!” 

At that distressing cry the puppet, who really 
had a kind heart, was moved to pity, and turning 
to the Dog, he said: 

“If I help to save you will you promise 
not to give me any trouble and not to run 
after me 

“I promise you! I promise you! Make 
haste for pity’s sake! If you delay another 
moment I shall be dead and gone!” 

Pinocchio hesitated a little, but remembering 
that his father had often told him that one never 
suffers loss by doing a merciful deed, he swam 
in all haste to the aid of the Dog, and taking 
him by the tail with both hands pulled him safe 
and sound to the dry sand of the beach. 

The poor Dog could not stand on his feet. 
He had swallowed so much salt water that he 
was swollen like a balloon. Nevertheless the 
puppet, not wishing to trust himself too much to 
the Dog, deemed it prudent to throw himself 
once more into the sea. And swimming away 
from the shore he shouted: 


Adventures of Pinocchio 147 

‘‘Good bye, Alidoro! Give my compliments 
to your friends at home!” 

“Good bye, Pinocchio!” replied the Dog. 
“A thousand thanks for having snatched me 
from death! You have done me a great service 
'which I shall always remember. If an opportu- 
nity ever should present itself, I shall hope to 
repay you.” 

Pinocchio continued to swim, always keeping 
close to land. Finally it seemed to him that he 
had reached a safe place to come ashore; and 
giving a look at the coast he saw in the rocks a 
sort of cave from which issued a long cloud of 
smoke. 

“There must be some fire in that cave,” said 
the puppet to himself. 

“So much the better! I will go and dry my- 
self and warm me. And then, come what may, 
I shall be ready for it.” 

This resolution taken, he approached the 
rocky shore; but just as he was on the point of 
climbing, he felt something under the water 
that was rising, rising, rising, and lifting him 
into the air. He attempted to escape but it 
was too late. To his astonishment he found 
himself enclosed in a large net in the midst of 
a buzzing of fishes of every form and size. 


148 


The Marvellous 


They wagged their tails and quivered with the 
agitation of souls in despair. 

And at the same time he saw a fisherman 
coming out of the cave. He was so ugly that 
he seemed to be a monster of the sea. Instead 
of hair, a thick brush of green grass grew on his 
head; the skin of his body was green; green 
were his eyes; his long beard, reaching below 
his knees, was green. He looked like a big 
lizard standing up on its hind-legs. 

When the fisherman had pulled the net out 
from the sea he cried out with great satisfaction: 

‘‘Blessed Providence! I shall have a good 
dinner of fish!” 

“ Fortunately I am not a fish !” said Pinocchio, 
taking courage. 

The net of fishes was carried into the cave, 
which was dark and smoky. There was a fire 
in the middle of it over which a pan of oil was 
frying and it gave out such a rank odour that it 
took away the puppet’s breath. 

“Now let me see what kind of fish we have 
caught!” said the green fisherman; and putting 
into the net his big, rough hand that looked 
like a baker’s wooden spade, he pulled out a 
handful of mullets. 

“These are fine mullets!” he said, gazing at 



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Adventures of Pinocchio 149 

them and smelling of them with delight. And 
after having smelled them, he threw them into 
a washtub which contained no water. 

He repeated this operation many times, and as 
he kept on taking the fish from the net and 
throwing them into tubs, his appetite increased 
and he exclaimed joyfully: 

“What fine whitefish! 

“What exquisite bass! 

“What delicious soles! 

“What savoury crabs! 

“What splendid anchovies!’’ 

As you can imagine, the whitefish, the bass, 
the soles, the crabs, and the anchovies 
were all tumbled indiscriminately into the 
washtubs to keep company with the mullets. 
The last that remained in the net was 
Pinocchio. 

The fisherman rolled his green eyes in aston- 
ishment and fright as he took Pinocchio out of 
the net. 

“What species of fish is this? I do not 
remember ever to have eaten one of this kind!” 
and he examined him carefully. 

After having looked at him on every side the 
fisherman said: 

“I know it must be a craw-fish.” 


150 


The Marvellous 


Pinocchio, mortified at hearing himself called 
a craw-fish, said in tones of resentment: 

“What nonsense! How you treat me! You 
should know that I am a puppet/’ 

“A puppet!” answered the fisherman. 
“Truly! The puppet fish is a new fish to me! 
So much the better! I shall eat you with more 
relish.” 

“Eat me.? But do you not understand that 
I am not a fish ? Do you not hear me speak 
and reason as you do ?” 

“That is very true,” rejoined the fisherman, 
“and as I see that you are a fish that has the 
luck to speak and reason like myself, I will treat 
you with due regard.” 

“What do you mean by that .?” said Pinocchio 
“As a mark of friendship and particular 
esteem I will give you the choice as to the way 
of being cooked. Do you wish to be fried in 
a pan, or do you prefer to be stewed with tomato 
sauce in an earthen dish ?” 

“To tell the truth,” replied Pinocchio, “If 
I have the choice, I prefer to be set free, and to 
be allowed to return to my home.” 

“What a joke! Do you think I would lose 
the opportunity of tasting such a rare fish ? 
It does not happen every day that I catch a 


Adventures of Pinocchio 15 1 

puppet fish. This is what I will do. I will fry 
you in the pan with all the other fishes. It is a 
consolation to be in good company when you 
are fried. 

Hearing this decision the unlucky Pinocchio 
began to cry — and crying he sobbed out: 

“How much better it would have been if I 
had gone to school I I listened to my bad com- 
panions and now I am paying for it. Ih! Ih! 
Ih! ” 

Pinocchio squirmed and twisted like an eel 
and made violent efforts to slip from the clutches 
of the green fisherman; so the monster took a 
cord of bulrush and tied him by the hands and 
feet like sausage and threw him into the washtub 
with the fishes. 

Then taking out a large jar of flour he dipped 
one fish after another into it and threw them all 
successively into the pan to fry. 

The first to dance in the hot oil were the white- 
fish; then came the crabs, then the mullets, 
then the soles and the anchovies. Pinocchio’s 
turn came last of all. Seeing himself so near to 
death (and what an awful death!), the puppet 
was seized with such fright and he trembled so 
that he had no breath with which to beg for 
mercy. The poor fellow could just roll his eyes 


152 Adventures of Pinocchio 

entreatingly, but the green fisherman took no 
notice of his distress. He dipped him five or 
six times in the flour, covering him so thoroughly 
with it from head to foot that he looked like a 
puppet made of plaster. Then he took Pinoc- 
chio by the neck and 


CHAPTER XXIX 


PINOCCHIO RETURNS TO THE FAIRY 

HE fisherman was just on the point of 



X throwing Pinocchio into the pan when a 
big Dog came into the cave, led there by the 
appetising odour and a craving for fish. 

“Go away!” cried the fisherman with a 
threatening motion, still holding the floured 
puppet in his hand. 

But the poor Dog was as hungry as four, and 
whining and wagging his tail, he seemed to say: 

“Give me a taste of the fish and I will leave 
you in peace.” 

“Get away, I tell you!” repeated the fisher- 
man, and raised his foot to kick him. 

The Dog was one of those self-respecting 
beasts that do not suffer any one to put flies on 
their noses when they want food. He growled at 
the fisherman and showed him his fearful claws. 

At that moment a small, low, hoarse voice 
was heard in the cave saying: 


“Alidoro, help me! If you do not save me 
I shall be fried.” 


154 


The Marvellous 


The Dog recognised the voice of Pinocchio, 
and great was his surprise to find that the little 
voice came from the parcel covered with flour 
which the fisherman held in his hand. 

Then what did the Dog do ? He gave a leap 
from the ground, seized that white parcel, and 
holding it gently with his teeth, ran out of the 
cave and away with lightning speed. 

The fisherman was in a rage at seeing 
this fish, which he would have eaten with 
unusual relish, snatched from his hand — and 
he ran after the Dog. 

Away and away ran Alidoro, but when he came 
to the lane that led to the village he stopped and 
gently placed Pinocchio on the ground. 

“How can I thank you enough?’* said the 
puppet. 

“There is no need of thanks,” replied 
the Dog. 

“You saved me and what you did is rendered 
back to you. In this world we must all help 
one another.” 

“But how did you get back into the cave?” 

“ I had remained here. I was lying stretched 
out on the beach, more dead than alive, when 
the wind brought to me the savoury smell of nice 
fried fish. That odour excited my appetite 


Adventures of Pinocchio 155 

and I ran in the direction of it. If I had arrived 
a minute later !” 

Do not mention it!” cried Pinocchio, who 
was still trembling with fear. “Do not talk 
about it! If you had arrived a minute later, 
I should now be fried and eaten and digested. 
Brrr! It gives me chills when I think of it!” 

Laughing, Alidoro stretched out his right paw 
toward the puppet who shook it heartily as a 
sign of friendship. Then they parted. The 
Dog went his way and Pinocchio started for 
home. 

After a while he came along to a little old man 
who was sitting on a log and basking in the sun 
at the door of his hut. 

‘'Tell me, good man, do you know anything 
about a poor boy who was wounded in the head, 
and who was called Eugene.?” 

“The boy was brought to this hut by some 
fishermen and now ” 

“Is he dead?” exclaimed Pinocchio in great 
sorrow. 

“No, he is alive and has returned to his home.” 

“Really? Really ?” cried the puppet, 

dancing for joy. “Then the wound was not 
fatal?” 

“It might have caused his death,” replied the 


156 


The Marvellous 


little old man, “because they threw a book 
bound with cardboard at his head/’ 

“Who threw it at him?” 

“One of his schoolmates; a certain 
Pinocchio ” 

“And who is this Pinocchio?” — asked the 
puppet pretending to be indifferent. 

“They say that he is a bad boy, a vagabond, 
a regular villain.” 

“Falsehoods! All falsehoods!” 

“Do you know this Pinocchio?” 

“Yes, when I see him!” answered the puppet. 

“And what opinion have you of him ?” asked 
the little old man. 

“He seemed to me to be a very good fellow, 
full of desire to study, obedient, affectionate 
toward his father and all his family ” 

While the puppet was spinning this bare- 
faced yarn he touched his nose and found it 
had lengthened several inches. This frightened 
him and he began to shriek and cry: 

“Do not believe what I have told you, good 
man,” he said. “I knew Pinocchio very well 
and I assure you that he is a naughty boy, 
disobedient and lazy. Instead of going to 
school he goes about with bad companions doing 
mischief!” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 157 

As soon as he had said these words his nose 
shrank to its natural size. 

“And why are your clothes so white?’’ sud- 
denly asked the little old man. 

“ I will tell you. I accidentally rubbed against 
a wall that was freshly whitewashed,” replied 
the puppet, being ashamed to tell that he had 
been powdered with flour like a fish to be fried 
in a pan. 

“And what have you done with your jacket, 
your breeches, and your cap?” 

“I met some thieves who stripped me. Tell 
me, good man, could you not give me some 
sort of a garment, so that I can return home ?” 

“My boy, I have only a small bag in which 
I keep my beans. If you want it, take it: there 
it is.” 

The little old man did not need to say this the 
second time. Pinocchio seized the bean-bag, 
which was empty, and after cutting a hole in the 
bottom with the scissors and a hole on each side 
he put it on like a shirt. Lightly dressed 
in this fashion he started on his way home. 
But he felt very uneasy, so much so that 
he made one step backward for every one 
that he made forward, and he went talking 
along saying: 


158 


The Marvellous 


“ How shall I present myself to my good Fairy ? 
What will she say when she sees me ? Will 
she pardon me this second rascality ? I fear 
that she will not — oh, certainly she will not 
forgive it, and it serves me right. I am a worth- 
less urchin. I always promise to mend my 
ways and I never keep my promise.’’ 

He arrived at the village just at dusk, and 
because the rain fell by bucketfuls he went 
straight to the house of the Fairy to knock at the 
door. But when he reached the door his cour- 
age began to fail, and instead of knocking he 
ran on. Then he came back but could not 
gather up courage to knock, so he ran on 
again. The third time he came up to the 
door and did not knock. The fourth time 
he really took hold of the knocker and gave 
a light stroke. 

He waited and waited. After half an hour 
some one on the top floor (for the house had four 
stories) opened the window, and Pinocchio saw 
a large Snail, that had a small light on its 
head, look out. The Snail was serving-maid to 
the Fairy. 

'‘Who is down there at this hour?” said the 
Snail. 

“Is the Fairy at home?” inquired Pinocchio. 


Adventures of Pinocchlo 159 

“The Fairy is asleep and does not want to be 
waked up. But who are you?’’ 

“It is 1 .” 

“Who is I?” 

“Pinocchio.” 

“ Who is Pinocchio ? ” 

“ The puppet who lives in the house with the 
Fairy.” 

“Oh, I understand,” said the Snail. “Wait 
for me. I will come down immediately and let 
you in.” 

“Make haste, for pity’s sake, for I am 
freezing.” 

“ My boy, I am a snail — and snails are never 
in a hurry.” And the window was closed again. 

After a while the clock struck twelve. It was 
midnight. The puppet was waiting. Then the 
clock struck one, and then two, and the door was 
still closed. Then Pinocchio, having lost all 
patience, seized the knocker and was about to 
give a knock that would shake the whole build- 
ing; but the knocker which was of iron suddenly 
became a living eel which, slipping from his 
hands, disappeared in a rivulet of water that 
flowed in the middle of the street. 

“Ah! so!” cried Pinocchio with increased 
“ If the knocker has run off I will kick 


anger. 


l6o The Marvellous 

the door with all my might/’ and stepping back 
a little he gave the door a furious kick. The 
blow was so violent that his foot went through 
the wood and was caught there. The puppet 
tried to pull it out but it was of no use. His foot 
remained fixed in the wood like a riveted nail. 
Fancy how he felt! He had to pass the rest of 
the night with one foot on the ground, the other 
in the door. 

In the morning, at daybreak, the door was 
opened. That kind little Snail had taken only 
nine hours to descend from the fourth story to 
the street door, and was dripping with perspi- 
ration. 

“What are you doing with your foot 
fastened in the door?” she asked of the 
puppet, laughing. 

“ It was a misfortune,” said Pinocchio. 
“Just see, beautiful Snail, if you can manage 
to release me from this torture.” 

“ My boy, a carpenter is needed for that task. 
I never did carpenter’s work.” 

“Pray, ask the Fairy to help me.” 

“The Fairy is asleep and does not want to 
be disturbed.” 

“Would you leave me fastened in this door all 


Adventures of Pinocchio l6l 

‘‘You can amuse yourself by counting the 
ants that pass in the street.” 

“ Do, at least, bring me something to eat, for 
I am starving.” 

“Directly!” said the Snail. 

After three and a half hours, Pinocchio saw 
her coming back with a silver dish on her head. 
In the dish there was a loaf of bread, a piece of 
roast chicken, and four ripe apricots. 

“Here is a breakfast which the Fairy sends 
you,” said the Snail. 

At the sight of that feast the puppet felt some- 
what consoled. But how disappointed he was 
when, on beginning to eat, he became aware 
that the bread was made of plaster, the fowl of 
pasteboard, and the four apricots were of 
alabaster, coloured like real ones. 

He wanted to cry. He wanted to give himself 
up to despair. He wanted to throw away the 
silver dish and everything in it. But instead of 
that, he fainted away. 

When he regained consciousness, he found 
himself lying on a sofa and the Fairy standing 
by his side. 

“I will forgive you this time,” said the Fairy, 
“but woe to you if you ever play me another of 
your tricks.” 


162 Adventures of Pinocchto 

Pinocchio promised, and took a solemn oath 
that he would study and behave well. And 
he kept his word for the rest of the year. In 
fact, at the examinations before the vacation he 
had the honour of standing the highest of any 
one in the school, and his behaviour was so 
satisfactory that the Fairy said to him with 
pleasure: 

“To-morrow your wish shall be granted. 
You shall cease to be a wooden puppet and you 
shall become a real boy.*’ 

No one can imagine the joy of Pinocchio 
at this news, so long desired. All of his friends 
and school companions were to be invited the 
following day to a grand luncheon in the house 
of the Fairy to celebrate the event. The Fairy 
ordered two hundred cups of coffee with milk, 
four hundred rolls buttered inside and out, to be 
prepared. The day promised to be fine and 
merry: 

But 

Unfortunately in the life of a puppet there 
is always a but that spoils everything. 


CHAPTER XXX 


PINOCCHIO STARTS FORTHE LAND OF PLAYTHINGS 

N aturally, Pinocchio was in a hurry 

to go about the city to give out the 
invitations, and immediately asked permission 
of the Fairy who said: 

‘‘Yes, go and invite your companions to the 
luncheon of to-morrow; but remember to return 
home before night falls. Do you understand 
“ I promise to return within an hour,’’ replied 
the puppet. 

“Mind, Pinocchio, boys promise easily, but 
they do not always keep their word.” 

“ But I am not like other boys. When I say 
a thing, I mean it.” 

“We shall see,” said the Fairy. “In case you 
disobey, so much the worse for you.” 

“Why.?” 

“Because the boys who do not follow the 
advice of those wiser than themselves always 
meet with some misfortune.” 

“I know that by experience,” said Pinocchio, 
“ But now I have learned better.” 

163 


164 


The Marvellous 


‘‘We shall see if you keep your pledge,” 
the Fairy answered. 

Without adding another word, the puppet 
bade an affectionate adieu to his good Fairy, 
who was for him a sort of mamma, and singing 
and dancing for joy ran out of the house. 

In an hour or so he had invited his friends to 
the luncheon. Some accepted the invitation 
at once; others had to be urged. But when they 
knew that there would be delicious rolls to dip 
in the coffee with milk — the rolls to be 
buttered inside and outside — they ended by say- 
ing, “We shall surely come.” 

Now you must know that Pinocchio had one 
friend among his school companions who was 
especially dear to him. His real name was 
Romeo, but everyone called him by the nickname 
“Lamp Wick,” on account of his dry, stiff, 
emaciated little body, which resembled the new 
wick of a small night-lamp. 

Lamp Wick was the laziest and most careless 
boy in the whole school; but Pinocchio was 
extremely fond of him. He went to his house 
in search of him to invite him to the luncheon. 
But Lamp Wick was nowhere to be found. 
Pinocchio searched all about, and went back a 
second time, but Lamp Wick was not there. He 


Adventures of Pinocchio 165 

went back a third time, but all in vain. He 
sought here, he sought there. At last he saw him 
hidden under the porch of a peasant’s house. 

“What are you doing there?” asked Pinoc- 
chio, advancing toward him. 

“I am waiting for midnight, so that I can 
start ” 

“Where are you going?” asked Pinocchio. 

“Far away, far away, far away!” 

“I have been to your house three times to 
look for you!” 

“What did you want of me ?” 

“Have you not heard of the great event! 
Do you not know the good luck that has fallen 
to me?” 

“What is it?” 

“ To-morrow I cease to be a puppet. I shall 
become a real boy like you and like all the 
others.” 

“May it do you good!” 

“To-morrow I want you to be at the 
luncheon at my house!” 

“ But I am going away to-night.” 

“At what hour ?” 

“Very soon.” 

“And where are you going ?” 

“ I am going to live in a country that is the 


i66 


The Marvellous 


most beautiful place in all the world. It is a 
really happy land.” 

“What is the name of it 

“ It is called Land of Playthings. Why do 
you not come too ? ” 

“Not I, indeed!” 

“You are wrong, Pinocchio! Believe me 
that if you do not come you will repent it. 
Where do you want a better land for us boys ^ 
There are no schools there — no teachers, no 
books. In that blessed country one never 
studies. There is no school on Thursdays, 
and each week is composed of six Thursdays and 
one Sunday. Just fancy! The vacation begins 
on the first of January and ends on the last of 
December. That is a country such as I really 
like. All civilised countries should be like that!” 

“ But how does one pass the days in the Land 
of Playthings?” 

“Why, you spend your time in amusing your- 
self and in nonsense from morning until night. 
In the evening you go to bed. Next morning 
you begin anew and do the same thing all over 
again. What do you think of it?” 

“Uhm!” exclaimed Pinocchio with a motion 
of the head which meant: “It is just the life 
that I would like to lead.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 167 

“Then will you go with me? Yes or no?*’ 

“No, no, no, and again no. I have promised 
my dear Fairy to become a good boy, and I wish 
to keep my promise. I see that the sun is going 
down, so I must leave you and go home at once. 
Good bye and a pleasant journey.” 

“ Why such haste ? Where are you going ? ” 
“Home. My good Fairy wants me back 
before night.” 

“Wait two minutes.” 

“No, I shall be too late.” 

“Only two minutes.” 

“And if the Fairy scolds me ?” 

“Let her scold. When she has scolded 
enough she will stop,” said that rascal Lamp 
Wick. 

“ How is the journey arranged ? Do you 
start alone or in company ?” 

“Alone? There will be a hundred boys at 
the least!” 

“ Do you go on foot ? ” 

“No! A carriage will take me to the border 
of that happy country. It will soon be here.” 

“What would I not pay to see that carriage! 
I wish it were passing now!” 

“Why?” 

“I should like to see you all start.” 


The Marvellous 


l68 

‘‘Stay a little longer and you shall see us.” 

“No, no! I want to go home.” 

“Wait two minutes!” 

“I have waited too long. The Fairy will 
worry about me.” 

“ Poor F airy ! Does she fear that the bats will 
eat you ? ” 

“ But then are you really sure that there are 
no schools in that country?” 

“Not even the shadow of a school,” said 
Lamp Wick. 

“And no teachers ?” 

“Not even one!” 

“ And you are never obliged to study ? ” 

“Never, never, never!” 

“What a beautiful country!” said Pinocchio, 
his mouth beginning to water. “ What a beauti- 
ful country! I have never been there, but I 
can picture it to myself!” 

“Come along, Pinocchio! Why not?” 

“It is useless to try to tempt me! I have 
promised my kind Fairy to become a good 
boy, and I do not want to fail to keep my 
word.” 

“Well, then, good bye, and remember me 
to my schoolmates.” 

“Good bye. Lamp Wick. A pleasant jour- 


Adventures of Pinocchio 169 

ney! Amuse yourself and think of the old 
friends sometimes f’’ 

Having said that, the puppet made two steps 
toward home; then he stopped, and turning 
toward his friend asked: “Are you really certain 
that every week is made up of six holidays and 
one Sunday?” 

“Oh, perfectly sure!” 

“And do you know for certain that the vaca- 
tions begin on the first day of January and end 
with the last of December ?” 

“Yes, indeed! Quite certain!” 

“What a beautiful country!” repeated Pinoc- 
chio, sputtering with excitement. Then, with a 
resolute mind, he started up hastily saying: 
“Well, then, good bye, really, and a pleasant 
journey.” 

“Farewell!” 

“How long before you start?” 

“Very soon.” 

“What a pity! I would wait if I were sure 
that you would go in an hour.” 

“What would the Fairy do ?” 

“Well, I am late anyway, now. And to go 
home an hour earlier or later is all the same.” 

“Poor Pinocchio! And if the Fairy scolds 
you r 


170 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


‘‘Patience! I must let her scold. When she 
has scolded enough she will quiet down.’’ 

In the meantime the sun had set and the dark 
night had come on. Suddenly, in the distance, 
they saw a small light and heard the jingling of 
the tiny collar bells on the horses. And they 
heard the whistling of a trumpet, but so low and 
smothered that it sounded like the whizzing of 
a mosquito. 

“There it is!” cried Lamp Wick, standing up. 

“Who is it asked Pinocchio, in a low voice. 

“It is the carriage coming to take me. Will 
you go ? Yes or no!” 

“Is it really true that in that country boys 
have no obligation to study?” 

“Never, never, never!” 

“What a beautiful country! What a beauti- 
ful country! What a beautiful country!” 


CHAPTER XXXI 


AFTER FIVE MONTHS IN THE LAND OF PLAY- 
THINGS, PINOCCHIO FINDS A PAIR OF EARS 
SPROUTING FROM HIS HEAD, AND HE 
TURNS INTO A LITTLE DONKEY 

A t last the carriage arrived. And it 
arrived without making any noise because 
the wheels were bandaged with tow and rags. 
It was drawn by twelve pairs of little donkeys. 
They were all of one size but of different colours. 
Some were gray, others black and white, 
speckled like pepper and salt, and others with 
large stripes of yellow and blue. But the most 
curious thing was this: that those twelve pairs 
of donkeys, those twenty-four little beasts of 
burden, instead of being shod like all other 
dray-animals, had men’s boots, made of white 
leather, on their feet. 

And the driver! Just fancy a little round, 
fat man, tender and greasy as a ball of butter, 
with a face like a red apple, a small mouth that 
was always laughing, and a thin flattering voice 
like that of a cat coaxing its mistress for food. 


172 


The Marvellous 


Every boy who saw him became infatuated 
with him. They vied with each other in 
scrambling for a seat in his carriage, hoping to 
be taken by him to that fools’ Paradise known 
on the map in geographies as ‘"The Land of 
Playthings.” 

The carriage was filled with boys from eight 
to twelve years of age packed as closely as 
sardines in a box. They were squeezed together 
like grapes in the wine-press and could hardly 
breathe. But no one said “ouch!” No one 
complained. It was a consolation to know that 
in a few hours they would find themselves in a 
country where there were not any books, or 
schools,or teachers, and this thought made them 
so contented and resigned that they did not 
care for discomforts, or hardships, or hunger, 
or thirst, or want of sleep. 

As soon as the carriage stopped, the little 
fat driver turned to Lamp Wick, and with 
a thousand flatteries and coaxing smiles said 
to him: 

“Tell me, my pretty boy, will you come along 
with us to that fortunate country .?” 

“Surely — I want to come,’’’ said Lamp 
Wick. 

“But I warn you, my dear, that there is no 


Adventures of Pinocchio 173 

room in the carriage. As you see, it is full 
without you.” 

“Have patience!” said Lamp Wick. “If 
there is not enough room inside I can sit on the 
shafts of the carriage!” And giving a leap he 
jumped astride of a shaft. 

“And you, my love,” said the driver, turning 
to Pinocchio with a flattering smile, “what do 
you intend to do ? Will you come with us or 
remain } ” 

“I will remain here,” said Pinocchio. “I 
will go back to my home. I want to study and 
do myself credit at school as all good boys do.” 

“ Much good may it do you ! ” 

“Listen to me, Pinocchio,” said Lamp Wick. 
“Come with us, and we shall be merry.” 

“No, no, no!” 

“Come with us, and we shall be merry!” 
shouted four voices from inside the carriage. 

“Come with us, and we shall be merry!” 
howled a hundred voices all together. 

“And if I go with you what will my good Fairy 
say?” said the puppet, who was beginning to 
waver. 

“Do not stuflF your head full of melancholy 
notions. Just think! We are going to a 
country where we shall be our own masters. 


174 


The Marvellous 


We can make a noise from morning until 
night/’ 

Pinocchio did not answer, but gave a sigh, 
— then another sigh — then a third sigh; 
finally he said: “Make room for me and I 
will come/’ 

“The seats are all full,” said the driver, 
“but to show you how welcome you are I will 
give up my seat on the box to you.” 

“And you?” 

“Oh, I will walk.” 

“No, indeed!” said Pinocchio, “I will not 
allow that! I prefer to ride on the back of one 
of these little donkeys.” 

No sooner said than done. He approached 
on the right the donkey of the first pair, and 
was about to mount, but the little beast turned 
suddenly and thrust his nose against Pinocchio 
with a heavy thump and threw him to the 
ground. Just fancy the mocking laughter of 
all those impertinent boys who saw it! But the 
driver did not laugh. He gently approached 
the little donkey and, pretending that he 
was about to give it a caress, pinched its 
right ear. 

Meantime, Pinocchio, raising himself up in 
a rage, with a jump bounded astride of the poor 


Adventures of Pinocchio 175 

beast. The leap was so cleverly performed 
that the boys, ceasing to laugh, began to howl : 
‘‘Long live Pinocchio!’’ and they clapped their 
hands in unending applause. 

But all of a sudden the little donkey lifted both 
of his hind-feet with a violent jerk and hurled 
the poor puppet into the middle of the road on 
to a heap of gravel. Then the roars of laughter 
began anew; but the driver, instead of laughing, 
went up to the donkey very gently and lovingly 
and seemed to whisper something in his left ear. 
But really, on the sly, he pinched it nearly off. 
Then he said to the puppet: 

“Now get on again, astride, and have no fear. 
That donkey had taken some whim into his 
head, but I spoke two little words into his ears 
and I hope that he will be more reasonable.” 

Pinocchio mounted and the carriage began to 
move on. While the little donkeys were gal- 
loping along over the stone pavement of the 
highroad the puppet fancied that he heard a 
low voice whispering to him: “Poor dunce! 
you want your own way but you will repent it.” 

Pinocchio, much frightened, looked here 
and there to find out whence these words came; 
but he saw no one. The little donkeys galloped, 
the carriage ran, the boys in the carriage slept, 


176 


The Marvellous 


Lamp Wick snored like a dormouse, and the 
driver hummed between his teeth : 

“ All the night they sleep, 

And I never sleep. . . 

After another mile Pinocchio heard the same 
feeble voice, and it said to him: 

“You stupid boy, bear it in mind! The boys 
who give up studying and turn the cold shoulder 
to their books, to their teachers, and to their 
schools, and abandon themselves to trifling and 
amusements, can come to nothing but some bad 
end. I know it because I have done that way 
myself, and I can tell it to you from my own 
experience. The day will come when you will 
cry as I cry to-day: but then it will be too late!” 

At these words, whispered faintly, the puppet 
was more frightened than ever. He jumped 
down from the donkey’s back and put his hand 
on the animal’s nose. Imagine his astonishment 
when he found that his little donkey was crying, 
and that he cried just like a little boy. 

“Hello, Mr. Little-man!” shouted Pinocchio 
to the driver, “ do you know what there is new ? 
This little donkey is crying.” 

“Let him cry!” said the driver. 

“Did you teach him to speak ?” asked Pinoc- 
chio. 


Adventures oj Pinocchio 177 

“No, he has learned by himself to mutter a 
few words having been three years with a 
company of trained dogs.” 

“Poor beast!” 

“Away! away!” said the driver. “Do not 
let us waste time on a donkey because he cries. 
Get on his back and let us go. The night is 
cool and the road is long.” 

Pinocchio obeyed without replying. The 
carriage ran on, and at dawn they arrived in the 
Country of Playthings. 

This country did not resemble any other place 
in the world. Its population was entirely 
composed of boys. The oldest were fourteen 
years old and the youngest were not under eight. 
There was an uproar in the streets, a merri- 
ment, a screaming enough to drive you insane. 
There were gangs of little rogues everywhere. 
Some played at marbles, some at ball, some 
threw iron rings, some rode on velocipedes, 
bicycles, or wooden horses; some played blind- 
man’s-buff, others were racing after each other 
tooting horns and dressed as clowns; some 
recited; some sang; some turned somersaults; 
some turned cart-wheels, walking on their hands 
and feet — or they walked on their hands with 
their feet in the air; some were running with 


178 


The Marvellous 


their hoops; some strutted, dressed like a 
general with paper helmet and pasteboard 
sword; some laughed, some howled, some 
called, or clapped hands, or whistled, or hissed; 
some imitated the cackling of a hen after she has 
laid an egg; all in a regular pandemonium. 
Such a chirping of sparrows, such a tumult to 
compel one to put wadding in one’s ears. In all 
the squares there were little theatres of canvas 
crowded with boys from morning till evening, 
and on all the walls of the houses there were 
written with charcoal remarkable things such 
as these: “Rah for the simpeltens!” “Long 
live the blookeds!” “No moar skool for us!” 

As soon as Pinocchio, Lamp Wick, and all the 
other boys who had taken the journey, set foot 
in that city, they at once mingled with the dis- 
orderly crowd and in a few minutes became 
friends with all. Who could be happier or more 
contented than they .? In the midst of the con- 
tinuous confusion and merry-making the hours, 
the days, the weeks passed like flashes of light- 
ning. 

“Oh! what a beautiful life!” said Pinocchio, 
every time he happened to meet Lamp Wick. 

“You see, then, that I was right!” said the 
latter. “And to think that you did not want 


Adventures of Pinocchio 179 

to start. Just fancy! You wanted to return 
to your Fairy and lose your time in studying! 
If to-day you are free from the annoyances of 
books and schools, you owe it to me, to my 
advice, to my earnestness — is it not so ? Only 
true friends know how to render such favours.” 

“It is true. Lamp Wick, if to-day I am a 
happy boy, free and contented, I owe it all to 
you. And yet the teacher always said to me, 
‘Do not associate with that rascal. Lamp 
Wick. He is a bad companion. He cannot 
advise you to do anything but evil.’ ” 

“Poor teacher!” replied Lamp Wick, 
shaking his head. “I know only too well that 
I was a nuisance to him. But I am generous 
and forgive him.” 

“Great soul!” said Pinocchio, affectionately 
embracing him. 

Five months elapsed in this way. From 
morning till night, they fooled away the time 
in amusing themselves without seeing a book 
or a school, when, one morning, Pinocchio woke 
up to a very disagreeable surprise, which put 
him in a really bad humour. 


CHAPTER XXXII 


PINOCCHIO BECOMES A TRICK DONKEY 

what was the surprise ? I will tell 



-Zlu you, my dear little reader. The surprise 
was that on awakening Pinocchio naturally 
scratched his head, and in happening to scratch 
his head, he became aware — just guess what 
he became aware of? To his great astonish- 
ment he became aware that ears ni-ne inches 
long had grown upon his head. You know 
that the puppet at his birth had tiny, tiny ears, 
so small that they were not visible to the naked 
eye. Fancy, then, his surprise when he put his 
hand to his head and found that his ears had 
grown so long during the night that they seemed 
to be small brush-brooms. 

He ran for a mirror in order to see himself, 
but not finding one he filled the hand-basin 
with water and, looking into it, saw what he did 
not care to see — he saw his own image adorned 
by a beautiful pair of donkey’s ears! i 

I leave you to imagine the pain, the shame, I 
and the despair of poor Pinocchio. 


Adventures of Pinocchio l8l 

He began to cry and scream. He knocked 
his head against the wall; but his ears grew and 
grew and grew and became hairy toward the top. 

On hearing his piercing cries a beautiful 
little Marmot who lived on the upper floor came 
into his room. On seeing the puppet frantic 
with trouble, he asked with kindly attention: 

‘‘What is the matter, my dear fellow-lodger ?” 

“ I am sick, my little Marmot, very sick with 
an illness that frightens me! Do you under- 
stand anything about the pulse?” 

“Yes, a little.” 

“Feel, then, and tell me if I have a fever.” 

The Marmot lifted his right fore-paw, and 
having felt Pinocchlo’s pulse, said to him: 

“ My friend, I am sorry to give you bad news.” 

“What is it?” 

“You have a very ugly fever.” 

“What fever is it ?” 

“It is the donkey fever.” 

“I do not understand what this fever is!” 
replied the puppet, who really understood it only 
too well. 

“Then I will explain it to you,” said the little 
Marmot. “ Know, then, that within two or three 
hours you will no longer be a puppet, nor will 
you be a boy.” 


The Marvellous 


182 

‘‘What shall I be?’’ 

“You will become a donkey, a real donkey, 
like those that drag carts and carry vegetables 
to the markets.” 

“Oh! poor me! poor me!” cried Pinocchio, 
pulling his ears in wrath as if he would pull 
them off. 

“My dear,” said the little Marmot, hoping 
to console him, “what are you doing ? It is one 
of the great laws of destiny written in the decrees 
of wisdom that those boys who have no sense of 
duty, who despise books and teachers and 
schools — boys who pass their days in fooling, 
in games and amusements, must end sooner 
or later by transforming themselves into 
donkeys.” 

“Is it really so ?” asked the puppet, sobbing. 

“Alas, yes, it is so! And now it is useless to 
cry. You should have thought of it before.” 

“ But the fault is not mine. Believe me, little 
Marmot. The fault is Lamp Wick’s.” 

“And who is Lamp Wick?” 

“One of my schoolmates. I wanted to 
return home; I wanted to be obedient; I wanted 
to continue my studies and do myself honour; 
but Lamp Wick said to me, ‘Why do you 
want to annoy yourself with studies f Why 


Adventures of Pinocchio 183 

will you go to school ? Come along with me 
to the Country of Playthings. There we shall 
study no more. There we shall amuse our- 
selves from morning until night, and we shall 
always be merry.’ ” 

“And why did you follow the advice of a bad 
companion } ” 

“Why.f* Because, my little Marmot, I am 
a heartless puppet, without a grain of sense. 
Oh, if I had the least bit of heart I should never 
have abandoned that good Fairy who loved me 
like a mamma, and who has done so much for 
me! And by this time I should no longer be a 
puppet, but a real boy like the other boys. If 
I meet Lamp Wick, woe to him!” And he 
moved to go out. 

But when he reached the door he remembered 
that his ears were like those of a donkey, and 
being ashamed to show them in public, what did 
he invent ? He took a large cotton cap and put- 
ing it on his head, he pulled it down over his 
ears. 

Then he went out and began to look for Lamp 
Wick. He looked in the streets, in the square, 
in the theatre, everywhere; but could not find 
him. He asked about him of all the people he 
met, but no one had seen him. 


184 


The Marvellous 


Then he went to his house to seek him, and 
on arriving at the door, he knocked. 

“Who is there?” asked LampWick from within. 

“ It is I,” said Pinocchio. 

“Wait a little while and I will let you in.” 

After half an hour the door opened — and 
fancy Pinocchio’s surprise when, on entering 
the room, he saw his friend Lamp Wick with a 
great cotton cap on his head — a cap that 
covered even his nose. 

At the sight of that cap Pinocchio was slightly 
consoled, and he thought to himself: 

“Maybe my friend has the donkey fever as 
well as I.” 

“How are you, my dear Lamp Wick ?” said 
Pinocchio, smiling, and pretending not to notice 
anything. 

“Very well, — ^like a mouse in a cheese.” 

“Is what you say really true ?” 

“Surely, why should I tell a falsehood.?” 

“Excuse me, friend; why do you keep that 
cotton cap on your head, that covers your ears 
completely ?” 

“The doctor has ordered it because I have 
hurt my knee. And you, my dear Pinocchio, 
why do you wear that cotton cap pulled down 
over your ears .? ” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 185 

“The doctor has ordered it because I hurt my 
foot/’ 

“Oh, poor Pinocchio!” 

“Oh, poor Lamp Wick.” 

Then came a long silence, during which the 
two friends did nothing but look at each other, 
bent on fooling one another. 

Finally the puppet said to his companion 
in a low, sweet voice: 

“ Have you ever suffered with any trouble in 
your ears ? ” 

“ Never ! Have you ? ” 

“Never! But since this morning I have an 
ear that is quite painful.” 

“I have the same complaint, too.” 

“Really? Which is the ear that pains 
you ? ” 

“ Both of them. Which is it with you ?” 

“Both of them. Is it the same illness, think 
you ?” 

“I fear it is.” 

“Will you do me a favour. Lamp Wick?” 

“Willingly! With all my heart.” 

“Show me your ears!” 

“Oh, no! First I want to see yours, my dear 
Pinocchio.” 

“No, you must be the first.” 


The Marvellous 


1 86 

“No, my dear; you first and then I.” 

“Well,’’ said the puppet, “then let us make 
a friendly agreement.” 

“All right! Let’s hear it!” 

“Let us both take off our caps at the same 
time. Do you accept ? ” 

“Yes, I accept.” 

“Well, then, ready!” And Pinocchio began 
to count: 

“One! two! three!” 

At the word “three” the two boys took off 
their caps and threw them into the air. 

And then a scene took place which would 
seem beyond all belief if it were not true. When 
Pinocchio and Lamp Wick saw that they had 
both been struck by the same misfortune, 
instead of being mortified and sorry, they began 
to wink and squint at each others’ ears grown 
beyond measure, and after performing a thou- 
sand silly tricks they burst out into loud 
laughter. 

And they laughed and laughed and laughed, 
until they could hardly stand up and had to 
hang on to something. 

But at the height of their merriment. Lamp 
Wick suddenly quieted down, and staggering 
and changing colour, said to his friend: 


Adventures of Pinocchio 187 

‘‘Pinocchio, help me! oh, help me!” 

“What is the matter?” 

“Oh, I cannot stand up any longer.” 

“Nor can I,” cried Pinocchio, weeping and 
tottering. 

And while they were speaking they bent down 
on all fours to the ground and moving on hands 
and feet began to run about the room. And as 
they ran their arms became paws, their faces 
lengthened into muzzles and their backs became 
covered with light gray hair speckled with black. 
But the worst moment for those two unlucky 
fellows, the worst moment and the most humili- 
ating, was when they began to swish the 
long tails that had grown at the back. Over- 
come with shame and pain they tried to cry and 
bewail their fate. 

It would have been better for them if they had 
never tried. For instead of groans and lamenta- 
tions, they brayed, and as they brayed in chorus 
they seemed to say: 

“Eeah! Ee ah!” 

Just then a knock at the door was heard 
and a voice from outside said: “Open the door! 
I am the driver of the carriage that brought you 
to this town. Open the door at once or woe be 
unto you!” 


CHAPTER XXXIII 


PINOCCHIO IS BOUGHT BY THE DIRECTOR OF A 
COMPANY OF CLOWNS, WHO TEACHES HIM 
TO DANCE AND JUMP THROUGH HOOPS. 
HE BECOMES LAME AND IS SOLD FOR HIS 
HIDE 


S EEING that the door did not open of itself 
the Driver burst it open with a violent 
kick, and entering the room said, with his 
usual smile to Pinocchio and Lamp Wick: 

“Good boys! You brayed well. I recog- 
nised your voices and here I am.” 

At these words the two little donkeys became 
quiet with their heads down, their ears low, and 
their tails between their legs. 

At first the Driver smoothed them down and 
caressed them; then, taking out his curry-comb, 
began to curry them thoroughly. And when he 
had curried them until they shone like two 
mirrors, he put a bridle on each of them and 
took them to the market in the hope of selling 
them at a good profit. 

Purchasers were not long in coming. Lamp 

i88 


Adventures of Pinocchio 189 

Wick was bought by a peasant whose donkey 
had died the day before of overwork; and 
Pinocchio was sold to the Director of a company 
of clowns and acrobats, who bought him to 
train him to jump and dance with the other 
animals of the company. 

And now, my little readers, has it occurred 
to you what a dreadful trade the Driver carried 
on ? This sly little monster, with a face of milk 
and honey, went from time to time with a 
carriage travelling about the world; and he 
used to pick up by the way, by means of promises 
and flattery, all the lazy boys who hated books 
and schools. After loading them on his cart or 
in his carriage, he took them to the Land of 
Playthings where they might pass all their time 
in games, in uproar, and amusement. 

When those poor misguided boys had given 
themselves up to continuous trifling for some 
time, they became gay and self-satisfied little 
donkeys, and the Driver made himself master 
of them and sold them in the fairs and markets. 
And in this way he soon became a millionaire. 

I do not know what happened to Lamp Wick. 
I do know that Pinocchio had a life of hardships 
without rest. When he was led into the stable 
his new master filled his manger with chopped 


The Marvellous 


190 

straw. But Pinocchio, after taking a mouthful 
of it, spat it out. Then the master, growling, 
filled the manger with hay. But he did not 
relish that either. 

‘‘Ah, you do not like even the hay!” said the 
master angrily. “Never mind, dainty little 
donkey! If you have whims in your head, I 
will see that you get them out.” And by way 
of correction he gave him a crack on the legs 
with a whip. Pinocchio, in great pain, began 
to bray, and in braying said: 

“Ee ah! Ee ah! I can not digest straw!” 

“Then eat hay,” replied the master, who 
understood the donkey dialect very well. 

“Ee ah! Ee ah! Hay gives me stomach 
ache!” 

“ Do you mean to say that a donkey should be 
fed on chicken and capon in jelly .?” retorted the 
master, becoming more and more angry, and he 
added another lashing. 

At the second whipping Pinocchio deemed it 
prudent to keep quiet, and so he said no more. 
Very soon the stable was shut and Pinocchio 
remained alone. He had not eaten anything 
for several hours and he began to gape with 
hunger. Yawning, he opened his mouth so 
wide that it seemed to be an oven. 


Adventures of Pinocchio 19 1 

At last, finding nothing but hay in the 
manger, he resigned himself to that and chewed 
it with a will. And having chewed it well he 
closed his eyes and gulped it down. 

“This hay is not so bad,” he said to himself, 
“but how much better off I should have been if 
I had stayed at home. By this time, instead 
of eating hay, I should have had good, fresh 
bread and a nice slice of sausage. Patience!” 

When he awoke the next morning he looked 
into the rack for a little more hay but he did not 
find any. 

He had eaten it all during the night. Then 
he took a mouthful of chopped straw, and while 
he was chewing it he needed no proof to con- 
vince him that minced straw was not as much of 
a delicacy as rice a la Milanaise or macaroni 
a la Neapolitaine. 

“Patience!” said Pinocchio, continuing to 
chew. “May my misfortunes serve as a warn- 
ing to all the disobedient boys who hate study. 
Patience! Patience!” 

“Patience! Nonsense!” howled the master, 
entering the stable at that moment. Perhaps 
you think, my dainty donkey, that I have bought 
you just to give you food and drink. No, sir! 
I have bought you so that you can earn a lot of 


192 


The Marvellous 


money for me. Up, then, bravely! Come with 
me into the circus and there I will teach you to 
jump through hoops, to break paper barrels with 
your head, to dance the waltz and polka standing 
up straight on your hind legs.’’ 

Poor Pinocchio! He had to learn all of these 
tricks. It took him three months to learn them, 
and he received many lashes from his master. 

At last came the day when the master was 
ready to announce a really extraordinary spec- 
tacle. Posters of various colours were tacked 
up at every street corner. They ran as follows : 


GRAND SPECTACLE 

THIS EVENING 

THE USUAL FEATS IN JUMPING AND SURPRISING 
EXERCISES 

PERFORMED BY ALL THE ARTISTS AND BY ALL 
THE HORSES OF BOTH SEXES IN THE COMPANY 
AND more!! 

THERE WILL BE PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME 
THE FAMOUS DONKEY 

PINOCCHIO 

CALLED 

THE STAR OF THE DANCE 

THE THEATRE WILL BE AS LIGHT AS DAY 


That evening, as you can well imagine, the 
theatre was crowded an hour before the per- 



Adventures of Pinocchio 


m 


formince began. There was not a seat to be 
had, not a. front seat, nor a seat in the pit, nor 
a hot, not even by paying its weight in gold. 
The steps of the theatre swarmed with babies 
and boys and girls of all ages who were in a 
fever of anxiety to see the famous little donkey, 
Pinocchio, dance. 

When the first part of the spectacle was over 
the Manager of the company, in black coat, white 
tight trousers, and high leather boots reaching 
over his knees, presented himself to the crowd 
of spectators and making a deep bow, recited 
with much solemnity the following absurd 
speech : 

‘‘Respectable public. Ladies and Gentlemen: 
— The humble Director of this performance 
passing through this illustrious metropolis, I 
have wanted to give myself the honour as well 
as the pleasure of presenting to this intelligent 
and conspicuous audience a celebrated little 
donkey who has already had the honour of 
dancing before His Majesty the Emperor of all 
the principal Courts of Europe. I thank you 
for the help of your encouraging presence and 
compassion.” 

This speech was received with much laughter 
and applause; but the applause redoubled and 


194 


The Marvellous 


became a sort of hurricane when the little 
donkey, Pinocchio, appeared on the stage. 
He was gaily decked. He had a new bridle of 
shining leather with brass buckles and 
spangles; two white camelias on his ears; his 
mane curled in many ringlets, tied with red 
silk tassels; a large band of gold and silver 
around his body; and the tail interlaced with 
purple and blue velvet ribbons. He was indeed 
a gorgeous donkey. The Manager, in presenting 
him to the public, added these words: 

My esteemed auditors — I will not detain 
you any great length of time to tell you the many 
difficulties of subduing this quadruped while he 
freely grazed from mountain to mountain on 
the plains of the Torrid Zone. 

‘‘ Observe, I pray you, how wildly savage his 
eyes are. In training him to the domestic life of 
civilised animals I was obliged to have recourse 
to the affable dialect of the whip. But my 
kindness was of no avail. He showed no attach- 
ment to me. However, following the system of 
Galles, I discovered in his skull a small, bony 
Carthage, that even the Medicean Faculty of 
Paris recognises as the regenerating bulb of the 
hair and of a fiery passion for dancing. For 
this reason I decided to train him, not only to 


Adventures of Pinocchio 195 

dance, but to leap through hoops and paper 
barrels. 

“Admire him and judge for yourselves. But 
first, my friends, allow me to invite you all to 
the afternoon performance to-morrow night. 
But if it rains the performance will be postponed 
to to-morrow morning at eleven o’clock p. m. 
in the afternoon.” 

And here the Manager made another deep 
bow; then turning to Pinocchio said: 

“ Courage, Pinocchio ! Before beginning your 
exercises, pay your respects to the audience of 
cavaliers, dames, and children!” 

Pinocchio obediently bent down on his two 
fore-knees and remained kneeling until the 
manager, cracking his whip, cried out: 

“Now keep step!” 

Then the little donkey stood up on his four 
legs and began to pace around the circus, always 
keeping step. 

“ Now trot ! ” shouted the Manager, and Pinoc- 
chio changed his step to a trot. 

“Gallop!” cried the Manager, and Pinocchio 
began to gallop. 

“Show us how to race!” commanded the 
Manager, and Pinocchio began to run as fast as 
he could. But while he was running like a 


196 


The Marvellous 


Barbary horse the Manager, lifting his arm, fired 
off a pistol. 

At that sound, the donkey pretending to be 
wounded, fell, stretched out in the circus, as if 
he were really dead. 

Rising from the ground amidst a burst of 
applause, a howling and clapping of hands 
loud enough to reach the stars, it naturally 
happened that Pinocchio lifted his head and 
looked upward — and looking he saw a beauti- 
ful lady in one of the gallery boxes. On her 
neck she wore a golden necklace from which 
hung a locket. On the locket there was a 
miniature portrait of a puppet. 

“That is a portrait of myself! That lady is 
my Fairy!” said Pinocchio to himself, recog- 
nising her instantly. Overcome with joy he 
tried to cry out: 

“Oh, my little Fairy! Oh, my little Fairy! 
But instead of these words there came from his 
throat such a sonorous volley of braying that the 
audience laughed heartily, especially the boys. 

Then the Manager, in order to make him 
understand that it is not good manners to bray 
in the face of the public, gave him a blow on the 
nose with the handle of the whip. 

The poor little donkey thrust out his tongue 


Adventures of Pinocchio 197 

eight or nine inches at least and licked his nose 
for five minutes to drive away the pain. But 
what was his despair when, looking up again, 
he saw that the box was empty and that the 
Fairy had disappeared! He felt as if he were 
dying; his eyes filled with tears, and he began 
to cry immoderately. No one noticed it, how- 
ever, least of all the Manager, who, on the con- 
trary, cracking his whip, cried out: 

“Courage, Pinocchio! Now show these gen- 
tlemen how gracefully you can jump through 
these hoops.” 

Pinocchio tried two or three times. But 
every time that he arrived in front of a hoop, 
instead of going through it, he passed under it. 
At last he jumped through one: but his hind- 
legs caught in the hoop and he fell to the ground. 

When he arose he was lame and could return 
to the stable only with great difficulty. 

“Bring out Pinocchio! We want the little 
donkey! Bring out the donkey!” shouted the 
boys from the pit, moved to pity at the sight of 
his suffering. But the little donkey did not 
show himself any more that evening. The 
next morning the veterinary, that is the doctor 
of animals, declared, when he saw him, that he 
must remain lame all his life. 


198 


The Marvellous 


Then the Manager said to his stable-boy: 
“What can I do with a lame donkey ? He would 
be a useless expense, just another mouth to fill. 
Take him to the market-place and sell him.” 

In the market-place they found a buyer 
at once, who asked the stable boy: 

“What is the price of this lame donkey ?” 

“ Four dollars,” said the boy. 

“ I will give you twenty cents. Do not think 
that I want him for service. All I want of him is 
his hide. He has a tough skin, and I wish to make 
a drum for the musical company of our town.” 

I leave you to imagine, my little readers, what 
a pleasure it was for poor Pinocchio to hear that 
he was fated to become a drum head. 

As soon as the purchaser had paid twenty 
cents, he led the little donkey to the top of a 
cliff that was on the sea shore, and having tied 
a stone on his neck, and a rope around one leg, 
he pushed him over into the water, holding on 
by the rope. Pinocchio, with that weight on 
his neck, sank instantly to the bottom; and the 
buyer, holding the rope tight in his hands, sat 
down on the rock and waited so that the little 
donkey should have all the time necessary for 
drowning; and then he hoped to take away with 
him the poor little animal’s skin, 


CHAPTER XXXIV 


PINOCCHIO ESCAPES FROM THE DONKEY’s HIDE 
WHICH IS EATEN OFF BY THE FISHES, AND 
HAS A NEW ADVENTURE WITH THE TERRIBLE 
SHARK 

W HEN the little donkey had been under 
water fifty minutes or so, the owner, 
talking to himself said: 

“ By this time my poor lame donkey must be 
quite dead. Let us pull him up again and I 
will make a fine drum.’’ 

And he began to pull the rope which he had 
tied to one leg. He pulled and pulled and 
pulled. At last he saw coming up to the surface 
of the water — guess what he saw! Instead 
of a dead donkey he saw ^coming up to the sur- 
face of the water a living puppet that wriggled 
like an eel. 

Seeing that wooden puppet, the man thought 
himself dreaming, and he stood there like one 
stupefied, with his mouth open and his eyes 
standing out of his head. Recovering a little from 
his astonishment he said, crying and stuttering: 

199 


200 


The Marvellous 


“I threw a little donkey into the seal Where 
is it!” 

‘‘I am that little donkey!” said the puppet, 
laughing. 

“You!” 

it j 

“Ah! Rogue! Do you mean to make fun 
of me!” 

“ Make fun of you ? Quite the reverse, dear 
master; I am in earnest.” 

“ But how is it that you who were a donkey a 
little while ago have become a wooden puppet 
by staying in the water ? ” 

“Perhaps it is the effect of the sea water. 
The sea plays such tricks!” 

“Take care, puppet, take care! Do not 
believe that you can amuse yourself at my 
expense. Woe to you if I lose my patience!” 

“Well, master, do you want to know all 
the truth ? Then free me from the rope you 
have tied around my leg and I will tell it to you.” 

Being curious to know the true story that good- 
natured man, the buyer, untied the knot, and 
Pinocchio, finding himself as free as a bird in 
the air, began his story: 

“You must know,” he said, ‘‘that I was a 
wooden puppet as I am to-day. I was almost 


Adventures of Pinocchio 20i 

on the point of becoming a boy, just like other 
boys; but I did not like to study and I was 
always ready to follow the advice of a bad 
companion. I ran away from home and, wak- 
ing up one fine day, I found myself changed into 
a donkey with long ears and a swishing tail. 
What a shame was that to me! Such a shame, 
dear master, may the blessed St. Anthony never 
make you experience! I was taken to the 
market to be sold to the Manager of an equestrian 
company who had a fancy that he could make 
a great dancer of me, and teach me to jump 
through hoops; but one evening during the per- 
formance I had a bad fall and became very 
lame. Then the Manager, not knowing what 
to do with a lame donkey, sent me to the market 
and you bought me.” 

“Alas, yes! And I paid twenty cents for you. 
Who will return me my money.?” 

“Why did you buy me! You bought me to 
make a drum out of my skin! Yes, a drum!” 

“ I know it but too well, and now where shall 
I find another skin .?” 

“ Master, do not despair. There are donkeys 
enough left.” 

“Tell me, impertinent fellow, is your story 
finished .?” 


202 


The Marvellous 


‘'No/’ replied the puppet, “I have a few more 
words to say and then I shall be through. After 
you bought me, you led me here to kill me. 
You might have skinned me alive. But being 
a merciful man you gave way to humane senti- 
ments and decided to tie a stone to my neck and 
throw me to the bottom of the sea. This deli- 
cate sentiment does you much honour and I 
shall remain eternally grateful to you for it. 
As for the rest, dear master, you have reckoned 
without the Fairy.” 

“And who is this Fairy ?” 

“She is my mamma, who is like all those 
good mothers who love their boys and who never 
lose sight of them, and assist them affectionately 
in misfortunes when they deserve to be aban- 
doned for their recklessness. I was about to 
say that the good Fairy, as soon as she saw that 
I was in danger of drowning, sent a great school 
of fishes, which, believing me dead, began to eat 
me. What mouthfuls they took! I should 
never have believed that fishes were more greedy 
than boys ! Some ate my ears, some my muzzle, 
some the neck and the mane, some the skin of 
my paws, some the hide of my back, and among 
them was one very polite fish who was good 
enough to eat that swishing tail.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


203 


“From this day on/' said the buyer, horrified, 
“ I will nevermore eat fish meat. It would make 
me ill, in preparing fish for the frying-pan, to 
open a mullet and find a donkey's tail." 

“ I am of the same mind as yourself," said the 
puppet, laughing. “ Moreover you must know 
that when the fishes had finished eating all that 
donkey flesh and hide that covered me, they 
came to the bones, or rather, to the wood. 
You see I was made of very hard wood. But 
after the first bites those gluttons became 
aware that wood was not flesh for their teeth, 
and, disgusted at such indigestible food, they 
went away — some here, some there — without 
even looking back to say ‘Thank you!'" 

‘‘And now I have told you how you happened to 
find a live puppet instead of a dead donkey 
when you pulled up the rope." 

The buyer became furious with anger. 

“I do not believe your story!" he cried. “I 
know that I have spent twenty cents to buy you, 
and I want my money back. Do you know 
what I will do 1 I will take you to the market 
again and I will sell you by weight for firewood 
to light a fire in a chimney." 

“All right! Sell me again! I am willing!" 
said Pinocchio. And he made a leap and 


204 


The Marvellous 


darted into the water, and swimming merrily 
off, going far away from the shore, he cried to 
the poor purchaser: 

“Farewell, Master! If you need a skin to 
make a drum, remember me!” 

And then he laughed and swam away. 
After a while he turned round and looked back 
and shouted louder: 

“Farew’ell, Master, if you need some wood to 
kindle a fire in the fire-place, remember me!” 

The fact is that in the twinkling of an eye 
he had put himself almost out of sight. There 
was only a little black spot to be seen on 
the surface of the sea. From time to time he 
thrust his legs up out of the water, and 
rolled and tumbled and leapt up like a playful 
dolphin. 

While Pinocchio was swimming away in a 
haphazard fashion, he saw a rock that seemed 
to be of white marble far out in the sea; and 
on the top of the rock a pretty little goat stood 
bleating affectionately and beckoning to him 
to approach. The most singular thing about 
the goat was this: that its hair, instead of being 
white or black or spotted like that of other goats, 
was blue, such a brilliant blue, that it resembled 
the hair of the Beautiful little Girl. 


Adventures of Pinocchto 205 

I leave you to imagine how fast Pinocchio’s 
heart began to beat. Redoubling his strength 
and energy he pushed on toward the rock, and 
he was already half way there when the horrible 
head of a sea monster, moving toward him, 
came up out of the water. It had a mouth like 
an immense cavern and three rows of tusks that 
would frighten any one who should merely see 
a painting of them. 

And do you know who that marine monster 
was ? It was that gigantic Shark, already 
alluded to in this story; and for its ravages and 
insatiable voracity it was nicknamed “the 
Attila of fishes and fishermen.” 

Imagine the fright of poor Pinocchio at the 
sight of the monster. He tried to avoid it — 
to change his route; he tried to swim away; 
but that cavernous mouth, wide open, came 
toward him with the velocity of a thunderbolt. 

“Make haste! Mak? haste! Pinocchio, for 
pity’s sake,” cried the beautiful goat, bleating. 

Pinocchio swam desperately with arms and 
chest and legs and feet. 

“Run, Pinocchio, the monster is gaining 
on you!” And Pinocchio, gathering all his 
strength, redoubled his speed. 

“Look out, Pinocchio! The monster is 


2o6 


The Marvellous 


overtaking you! There he is! There he is! 
Hurry, or you are lost!” 

Pinocchio swam faster than ever and flew like 
a shot. He was approaching the rock, and the 
goat, bending over the sea, was stretching out 
her little front paws to help him up from the 
water. But it was too late. The monster 
swallowed him as if he had been a hen’s 
egg. So quickly and so greedily did that 
monster swallow Pinocchio that, falling down 
into the body of the Shark, he went with such 
force he remained stunned a quarter of an 
hour. 

When he recovered from his fright, he could 
not tell where he was. All around him, on every 
side, there was great darkness. Such a black 
and deep obscurity that it seemed to him as if 
he had put his head into an inkstand full of ink. 
He stood listening but heard no noise. Now 
and then he felt a strong breeze striking his face. 
At first he could not make out whence the wind 
came, but after a while he found that it issued 
from the monster’s lungs. You must know 
that a shark suffers very much from asthma, and 
when it breathes it really seems as if the north 
wind were blowing. 

At first Pinocchio gathered up a little courage. 


Adventures of Pinocchio 20/ 

But when he became certain that he was in the 
body of a sea-monster he began to cry. 

“Help! Help!” he shouted. “Oh, poor 
me! Will no one come to save me.?” 

Then a rough voice spoke out in the darkness, 
a voice like a guitar out of tune. It said: 

“Poor fellow! Whom do you want to come 
to save you .?” 

“Who is it that speaks like that.?” asked 
Pinocchio with a shudder, for he was frozen with 
fear. 

“It is I! I am a poor tunny-fish who was 
swallowed by the Shark at the same time that 
you were. And you, what fish are you .?” 

“I am not a fish. I am only a puppet.” 

“And if you are not a fish, why were you 
swallowed by the monster.?” 

“It is not my fault. I was not willing to be 
swallowed. The monster swallowed you, and 
by chance I happened to be in the way. What 
shall we do here in the dark .?” 

“We must be resigned and wait quietly until 
the Shark has digested us!” 

“ But I do not want to be digested ! ” screamed 
Pinocchio, beginning anew to cry. 

“Neither do I want to be digested,” said the 
tunny-fish,“but I am enough of a philosopher to 


2o8 


The Maruellous 


console myself thinking that when one is born a 
tunny-fish there is more dignity in dying under 
water than under oil/’ 

“Fiddlesticks!” cried Pinocchio. 

“It is my opinion,” replied the tunny-fish, 
“and opinions, as a political tunny-fish would 
say, must be respected!” 

“I want to get away from here,” said 
Pinocchio. “I want to escape.” 

“Well, then, escape, if you can!” 

“This Shark who has swallowed us, is it 
very large?” asked the puppet. 

“I fancy that his body is about a mile long 
without including the tail.” 

While this conversation was going on in the 
dark, Pinocchio imagined that he could see a 
faintly glowing light in the distance, far, far 
away. 

“What can that far-off light be?” asked 
Pinocchio. 

“Perhaps it is some companion in distress 
waiting, like ourselves, to be digested.” 

“ I think I will go and call on him. It might 
be some old fish who could show me the way 
to escape.” 

‘‘ I wish you good luck, with all my heart, 
dear puppet.” 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


209 


“Farewell, Tunny!’’ 

“Farewell puppet, and good luck to you.” 

“ When shall we meet again 
“Who knows! It is better not even to think 
of it,” said the tunny-fish ?” 


CHAPTER XXXV 


IN THE BODY OF THE SHARK PINOCCHIO FINDS 
SOME ONE IN SEARCH OF HIM 



S SOON as Pinocchio had said farewell 


jl X to his good friend, the Tunny, he started 
along, groping in the darkness. Trying to feel 
his way in the body of the Shark he went step- 
ping forward toward that glimmering light that 
shone so softly far, far away. 

As he walked along he felt his feet dipping 
into a puddle of greasy, slippery water, and 
that water had such a strong odour of fried 
fish that it seemed to be the Lenten season. 

As he went on the light became brighter 
and more distinct. He walked and walked. 
And at last he came to something. What did 
he find .? Guess ! He found a table covered 
with a cloth. There was a lighted candle on 
it, the candle had been stuck into a green crystal 
bottle. There was a little old man sitting at 
the table. He was very white as if he were of 
snow or whipped cream. He was chewing 
with difficulty some small live fishes; so lively 


210 


Adventures of Pinocchto 21 1 

were they that sometimes, while he ate, they 
leapt from his mouth. 

The sight of that old man gave Pinocchio 
such intense gladness, such unexpected pleasure, 
that he was almost frantic with joy. He wanted 
to laugh. He wanted to cry. He wanted to 
talk, but instead of speaking intelligibly he 
howled confusedly and stammered out mean- 
ingless words. At last he uttered a cry of joy 
and throwing his arms around the neck of the 
little old man he sobbed out; 

“Oh, my daddy! At last I have found you! 
I shall never leave you again, never more, 
never more’’* 

“Do my eyes tell me the truth.?” asked the 
little old man, rubbing his eyes. “Are you 
really my dear Pinocchio?” 

“Yes, yes! I am really Pinocchio. And 
you have already forgiven me, have you not ? 
Oh, my little daddy, how good you are! And 

to think that I, instead But oh, if you 

only knew how many misfortunes have befallen 
me and how many things made me go wrong! 

“Just fancy! On the very day that you, my 
poor papa, sold your coat to buy me an A B C 
book so that I could go to school, I ran away to 
see the puppets and the Showman wanted to put 


212 


The Marvellous 


me on the fire so that he could roast his mutton; 
and then he gave me five gold coins to bring to 
you, but I met the Fox and the Cat who led me 
to the Red Lobster Inn where, at my expense, 
they ate like wolves. Starting out alone at 
midnight I met two assassins who began to 
chase me. I ran and ran and they followed. 
And I ran and ran and still they followed until 
they caught me. They hanged me to a branch 
of The Grand Oak. And then a Beautiful Girl 
with blue hair sent a little carriage for me, and 
three doctors came to see me and they said: 
‘If he is not dead it is a sure sign that he is still 
alive.’ Then I told a lie, and my nose began 
to grow, and it became so long that it would not 
go through the door of the room. Then I went 
with the Fox and the Cat to plant the four gold 
coins, for I had spent one at the Inn. Then the 
Parrot began to laugh, for instead of two thou- 
sand gold coins growing where I had planted 
four, I found none at all. And when the Judge 
knew that I had been robbed, he sent me to 
prison immediately, to give satisfaction to the 
thieves. Then on coming away from that place 
I saw a nice bunch of grapes in a field, where I 
was caught in a trap set for a polecat. The 
peasant unmercifully put a dog’s collar on me 


Adventures of Pinocchto 213 

and set me to watch the poultry-yard. When I 
caught the polecats he recognised my innocence 
and let me go free. The Serpent with the tail 
that smoked began to laugh, and it laughed until 
it burst a blood-vessel. Then I returned to the 
house of the Beautiful Girl, but she was dead. 
And the Dove, seeing me cry, said : ‘ I have seen 
your papa who was building himself a small 
boat to go in search of you,’ and I said to him, 
‘Oh, if I only had wings!’ And he said: ‘Do 
you want to go to your papa ’ And I answered 
him: ‘Ay — yes! were it only possible, but 
who would take me there.?’ 

‘‘And he said to me ‘ Get on my back ! ’ and so 
we flew all night. The next morning all the 
fishermen on the shore looked off toward the 
sea and said to me: ‘There is a poor man out 
in a little boat and he will surely drown.’ 
I looked, and even at that distance recognised 
you because my heart told me that it was 
you. I made signs to you to return to the 
beach.” 

“ I recognised you, too,” said Gepetto, “ and 
I would gladly have returned to the shore but 
how could I manage it .? The sea was heavy and 
a big wave upset the boat. Then a horrible 
Shark, seeing me in the water, ran at me and 


214 


The Marvellous 


putting out its tongue took me in with one lick 
as if I had been a cake of bologna/’ 

“And how long have you been shut up in 
here?” asked Pinocchio. 

“From that day to this, it must be about two 
years; two years my Pinocchio — it seems 
like two centuries.” 

“And how have you managed to live ? And 
where did you find this candle ? And the 
matches to light it, who gave them to you ? ” 
“Now I will tell you all. You must know, 
then, that the same storm that caused my little 
boat to capsise caused a merchant ship to sink. 
The sailors saved themselves, but the vessel 
went to the bottom and the insatiable Shark 
that swallowed me swallowed the ship as well.” 

“How! Do you mean to say that he 
swallowed that ship in one mouthful?” asked 
Pinocchio in astonishment. 

“All in one mouthful — and it spat out only 
the mainmast because it had caught in its teeth 
like a fish bone. Luckily for me that ship was 
loaded, not only with preserved meat in tin 
boxes, but also with biscuit, toasted bread, 
bottles of wine, raisins, cheese, coffee, sugar, 
sperm candles, and boxes of wax matches. 
With all this godsend I have been able to live 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


215 


two years. But to-day I am hard up. To-day 
there is nothing in the pantry. And this candle 
that you see burning is the last candle that I 
have.’’ 

“And what will you do when that is gone 

“When that is gone we shall remain in the 
dark.” 

“Then, my daddy, there is no time to lose. 
We must escape immediately.” 

“ Escape How.?^” 

“We must escape from the mouth of the Shark 
and swim away in the sea.” 

“You reason well, but my dear Pinocchio I 
do not know how to swim.” 

“That ’s no matter! Get on my back. I 
am a good swimmer. I will take you safe and 
sound to the shore.” 

“It is only a fancy, my boy, just an illusion,” 
said Gepetto, shaking his head sadly. “Do 
you think that you, a puppet only three feet high, 
would have sufficient strength to swim with me 
on your shoulders.?” 

“Try it and you ’ll see. At any rate, if it be 
written in heaven that we must die, we shall have 
the consolation of dying together.” 

And without more ado Pinocchio took the 
candle in his hand, and, walking before his father 


2i6 


The Marvellous 


to hold the light and lead the way, said : Follow 
me and do not fear!” 

Thus they walked a long way and traversed 
the entire length of the Shark’s stomach. But 
when they reached the point where the spacious 
throat of the monster began, they stopped to 
look around to seize the best opportunity for 
escaping. 

Now it must be known that the Shark, being 
very old and suffering from asthma and palpita- 
tion of the heart, was obliged to sleep with his 
mouth open. It happened, therefore, that 
Pinocchio, standing at the opening of the throat 
and looking upward, could see out of the enor- 
mous mouth the starry sky and beautiful moon- 
light. 

“This is the right moment to escape!” he 
whispered; then turning to his papa, he said: 
“The Shark sleeps like a dormouse — the sea 
is calm, and one can see as well as by daylight. 
Come on, then, daddy, follow me, and in a little 
while we shall be safe.” 

No sooner said than done.' They climbed 
up the throat of the sea monster and, arriving 
in that immense mouth, began to walk on tip- 
toe over the tongue — such a long and broad 
tongue that it seemed the avenue of a garden. 


Adventures of Pinocchio 2lJ 

And just as they were ready to make the great 
leap into the sea the Shark sneezed. In sneez- 
ing it gave such a violent shake that Pinocchio 
and Gepetto were thrown back to the bottom 
of the Shark’s stomach. The candle was blown 
out and both father and son were left in the 
dark. 

“And now!” exclaimed Pinocchio, becoming 
very serious. 

“Now, my boy! We are done for!” said 
Gepetto, in despair. 

“Lost? Oh, no! Give me your hand, 
daddy, and take care not to slip.” 

“Where are you leading me?” 

“We must again make the attempt to escape. 
Come with me and do not be afraid.” 

Saying this, Pinocchio took his father’s 
hand, and walking on tiptoe always, climbed 
up the throat of the Monster once more. Then 
they went the whole length of the tongue and 
leaped over three ranges of teeth. Before 
taking the great jump into the sea, however, 
the puppet said: “Get on my back, daddy, 
and keep your arms around me tight. I ’ll see 
that you come out all right.” 

As soon as Gepetto was firmly seated on the 
shoulders of his son, the brave Pinocchio, 


2i8 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


certain of success, threw himself into the water 
and began to swim. The sea was as smooth as 
oil. The moon was shining in all her splendour, 
and the Shark continued to sleep. He slept so 
soundly that not even a cannon shot could have 
awakened him. 


CHAPTER XXXVI 


PINOCCHIO BECOMES A REAL BOY 

W HILE Pinocchio was swimming with all 
possible swiftness to reach the shore 
quickly, he noticed that his father, who sat on 
his shoulders with his feet in the water, was 
shivering as if he had an intermittent fever. 
Was he trembling with cold or from fear ? 
Who knows ? Perhaps a little of both. But 
Pinocchio, believing that the trembling was 
caused by fear, began to comfort him. 

“Courage, daddy,” he said. “In a few 
minutes we shall reach the land and then we 
shall be safe.” 

“But where is that blessed land .f*” asked the 
old man, becoming yet more uneasy and look- 
ing fixedly as tailors do when they thread a 
needle. “I am looking in every direction, but 
I see only sky and sea.” 

“But I see a beach!” said the puppet. You 
must know that I am like the cats — I can see 
better by night than by day.” 

Poor Pinocchio! He pretended to be in high 

219 


220 


The Marvellous 


courage, but in reality he was beginning to lose 
heart. His strength was failing him. He 
breathed with difficulty. He was entirely 
exhausted and the shore was far off. 

He swam until he had no breath; then he 
turned his head toward Gepetto and said in 
broken words: “Help me! my papa, for I 
am dying!” 

Both father and son were on the point of 
drowning when suddenly they heard a voice like 
a guitar out of tune which said: 

“Who is dying?” 

“It is I and my poor papa.” 

“You are Pinocchio. I recognise your voice.” 

“Precisely; and who are you ?” : 

“I am the tunny-fish, your companion in i 
captivity in the stomach of the Shark.” ; 

“And how did you escape?” < 

“I followed your example. You showed ^ 
me the way; after I saw you escape, I escaped j 
too.” 

“Mr Tunny, you have come just in time! 

I pray you, for the love you bear your little 
Tunnies, your children, help us or we are lost!” 

“Gladly! With all my heart. Hang on 
to my fins and let yourselves be pulled along. 

In four minutes I will bring you to the shore.” 




ermtt me to gt'de you a 
Mr, TSunny^fi^h ! 





I 








Adventures of Pinocchio 221 

Gepetto and Pinocchio, as you can well 
imagine, lost no time in accepting the invitation. 
But instead of holding on to the fins they 
thought it would be more comfortable to sit 
on the back of the tunny-fish. 

‘"Are we too heavy?’* asked Pinocchio. 

“Heavy? Not at all! Not as heavy as two 
shadows! You seem to me like sea-shells,” 
replied the tunny-fish, which was of such a huge 
size and so strong that it looked like a two-year- 
old calf. 

Having reached the shore, Pinocchio jumped 
off first and then helped his papa. Then he 
turned to the tunny-fish, and with a voice tender 
with emotion said: 

“My friend, you have saved the life of my 
papa. Words cannot thank you enough. Allow 
me to give you a kiss, as a sign of eternal 
gratitude!” 

The tunny-fish put his nose out of the water, 
and Pinocchio knelt down on the ground and 
gave him a very affectionate kiss. At this act 
of spontaneous tenderness the poor tunny-fish, 
who was not accustomed to it, was so moved 
that he began crying like a baby, and he was 
so ashamed to be seen crying that he hid his 
head under the water and disappeared. 


222 


The Marvellous 


Meanwhile it became daylight, and Pinocchio 
offered his arm to Gepetto, who had just enough 
breath left to stand up on his feet. 

‘‘Lean on my arm, dear daddy,” he said, 
‘‘and let us go. We will walk slowly, slowly, 
like the ants, and when we are tired we will 
rest by the roadside.” 

“And where shall we go.?” asked Gepetto. 

“In search of a house where they will give 
us, out of charity, a mouthful of bread to eat 
and some straw to lie on.” 

They had not gone a hundred steps when 
they saw, close to the road, two ugly-faced 
creatures who stood there in the attitude of 
beggars asking alms. They were the Cat and 
the Fox, but they had changed so that they could 
hardly be recognised. The Cat had kept his 
eyes closed until he had become blind. The 
Fox had grown old and moth-eaten and para- 
lysed on one side, and had not even the tail left. 
That wretched thief had fallen into the lowest 
depths of poverty and found himself, one fine 
morning, compelled to sell his beautiful tail to a 
hawker who bought it to make himself a fly whisk. 

“Oh, Pinocchio,” cried the Fox, with a 
mournful voice. “Give a little charity to two 
poor invalids.” 


223 


Adventures of Pinocchio 

‘‘Farewell, cheats,” replied the puppet. 
“You deceived me once and you will not catch 
rre again.” 

“ Believe us, Pinocchio. To-day we are poor 
and unfortunate indeed!” 

“Indeed!” repeated the Cat. 

“ If you are poor, you deserve it. Remember 
the proverb which says, ‘Stolen money never 
brings any good.’ Adieu, deceivers!” 

“Have pity on us!” 

“On us!” said the Cat. 

“Good bye, deceivers ! Remember the prov- 
erb: ‘Satan’s flour makes bad bread.’” 

“Do not abandon us.” 

“Us!” repeated the Cat. 

“Good bye, deceivers. Remember the prov- 
erb : ‘ He who steals the cloak of his neighbour 
usually dies without a shirt.’ ” 

And so saying Gepetto and Pinocchio tran- 
quilly went their way. Having gone a short 
distance they came to a lane. At the end of the 
lane in the middle of a field there was a little 
house made of straw and the roof was made of 
flat tiles. 

“That house must be inhabited by some- 
body,” said Pinocchio. “Let us go %and 
knock,” and they went and knocked at the door. 


224 


The Marvellous 


“Who IS it?” said a voice inside. 

“We are a poor old father and his son without 
food or shelter,” replied the puppet. 

“Turn the key and the door will open,” said 
the same voice. 

Pinocchio turned the key and the door 
opened. As soon as they entered they looked 
here and they looked there but saw no one. 
“The master of the house, where is he?” 
said Pinocchio, astonished. 

“I am up here!” 

Father and son turned quickly and looked 
toward the ceiling, and on a rafter they saw the 
Speaking Cricket. 

“Oh, my dear Cricket!” said Pinocchio, 
greeting it politely. 

“Now you call me your dear Cricket — do 
you not ? But you remember when you tried 
to chase me out of your house and threw a ham- 
mer at me.” 

“You are right. Cricket. Turn me out also. 
Throw a hammer at me. But have pity on my 
poor papa.” 

“ I will have pity on father and son also. But 
I thought best to remind you of your unkind 
actions toward me, to teach you that in this 
world one must be courteous to all if we 


Adventures of Pinocchio 225 

wish to be treated with courtesy in the hour 
of need.” 

“You are right, Cricket; you are right, and 
I shall bear in mind the lesson you have taught 
me. But tell me, how did you manage to buy 
this fine house?” 

“This house was given to me yesterday by 
a gracious Goat that had beautiful blue hair.” 

“Where has the Goat gone?” asked Pinoc- 
chio with lively curiosity. 

“I do not know.” 

“And when will she return?” 

“She will never return. Yesterday she went 
away bleating sorrowfully — and bleating she 
seemed to say, ‘Poor Pinocchio, I shall never 
see him again ! The Shark has surely devoured 
him.’” 

“ Did she really say that ? Then it was 
she! It was my little Fairy!” sighed Pinocchio, 
and he began to cry immoderately. 

After crying a long time he dried his eyes, 
and having prepared a nice straw bed for his 
father, he laid Gepetto on it, comfortably 
stretched out. Then he said to the Speaking 
Cricket, “Tell me, my dear Cricket, where can 
I find a glass of milk for my poor papa ?” 

“Three , fields from here you will find a 


226 


The Marvellous 


vegetable gardener who keeps cows. Go to him 
and you will find all the milk you want.” 

Pinocchio hastened to the house of the 
gardener, who said to him: “How much milk 
do you want ?” 

“I want a glassful.” 

“A glass of milk costs a cent. Give me the 
cent and I will give you the milk.” 

“I have not even a farthing,” replied Pinoc- 
chio, mortified and disappointed. 

“Bad, my puppet,” said the gardener. “If 
you have not even a farthing, I have not even a 
spoonful of milk.” 

“Patience!” said Pinocchio, and moved to go 
away. 

“Wait a moment,” said the gardener. “I 
think we can arrange it. Are you willing to 
turn that swing-pulley ” 

“What is a swing-pulley.?” 

“It is that machine that serves to draw up 
water from the cistern for watering the garden.” 

“I will try.” 

“Very well — draw me a hundred bucketfuls 
and I will give you a glass of milk.” 

“All right!” 

The gardener took the puppet into the garden 
and showed him how to use the pulley. Pinoc- 


Adventures of Pinocchio 22y 

chio set to work, but before he had drawn up a 
hundred pailfuls of water he was wet with 
perspiration from head to foot. He was never 
so tired in all his life. 

“This work has always been done by my 
little donkey,’’ said the gardener, “but to-day 
he is on his last legs.” 

“Will you take me to see him?” said 
Pinocchio. 

“Willingly.” 

Pinocchio went to the stable, and as soon as 
he entered he saw a little donkey stretched out 
on the straw, dying of starvation and overwork. 
After looking it in the face, scanning the features 
fixedly, he said to himself: 

“I know that little donkey. It is not a new 
face to me.” And stooping down he asked in 
the dialect of donkeys: 

“ Who are you ? ” 

At this question the little donkey opened 
his dying eyes, and stammering, replied in the 
same dialect, “I am Lamp Wick.” Then he 
closed his eyes and expired. 

“Oh, my poor Lamp Wick,” said Pinocchio 
in a low voice — and taking a handful of straw 
dried a tear that was running down his face. 

“You are very sorry for a donkey that does 


228 


The Marvellous 


not cost you anything, are you not asked the 
gardener. “Then what should I say who have 
paid ready cash for him V* 

“He was a friend of mine,’’ said Pinocchio. 

“Your friend.?” 

“A schoolmate of mine!” 

“How is that.?” said the gardener, bursting 
into laughter. “We can imagine what kind 
of studying you did.” 

At these words the puppet was much morti- 
fied and so he did not reply. He took his glass 
of nice fresh milk and went back to Gepetto. 

And from that day on, for five months, Pinoc- 
chio continued to rise every morning before 
dawn to wind the swing-pulley and earn the 
glass of milk which helped to restore to health 
his poor, weak papa. Nor was he satisfied with 
that; he learned to make baskets and hampers 
of rushes, and with the money he earned he 
paid all their daily expenses. Among other 
things he made, all by himself, an elegant little 
cart in which he took his papa about to enjoy 
the fresh air on fine days. 

During the evening hours he practised read- 
ing and writing. In the neighbouring village 
he bought a big book, without frontispiece or 
index, for a few pennies, and this book served 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


229 


him for his readings. In writing he used a 
skewer, cut to resemble a pen, and having neither 
ink nor inkstand he dipped it into a bottle of 
cherry and mulberry juice. 

In fact, he behaved so well, doing his best at 
work and trying to educate himself, that he 
succeeded, not only in providing a comfortable 
living for his father — who was always delicate 
in health, but also he laid aside forty cents 
with which to buy some new clothes. 

One morning he said to his father, ‘‘I am 
going to the shop to buy myself a jacket, a cap, 
and a pair of shoes.” 

“When I return home,” he said, laughing, 
“I shall be so well dressed, daddy, that you 
will take me for a rich nobleman.” 

He was so happy and merry that he began 
to run as soon as he was out of the house. All 
at once he heard himself called by name, and 
on looking around he saw a beautiful Snail 
coming out from the hedge. 

“Do you not know me ?” asked the Snail. 

“It seems as if I did, but I am in doubt,” 
said Pinocchio. 

“Do you not recollect that Snail who was 
serving-maid to the Fairy with the Blue Hair.? 
Do you not remember the time when I came 


230 


The Marvellous 


down to bring you a light when you were 
caught with a foot in the door ? ” 

“I remember everything/’ cried Pinocchio. 
“Answer me at once, beautiful little Snail; 
where have you left my good Fairy? What 
is she doing ? Has she forgiven me ? Does 
she still remember me ? Does she always like 
me ? Is she very far from here ? Could I go 
to see her?” 

To all of these questions, asked in such a 
hurry, without taking breath, the Snail replied 
with her usual slowness: 

“My dear Pinocchio, the poor Fairy lies ill 
in a hospital!” 

“In a hospital?” 

“Alas, yes. After a thousand misfortunes 
she has fallen grievously ill, and she has not 
the means to buy herself a piece of bread.” 

“Truly? Oh, what a shock you have given 
me! Oh, my poor Fairy — my poor Fairy! 
If I had a million I would run and take it to 
her. But I have only forty cents with which I 
was going to buy some clothes. Here is the 
money. Run and give it to her, my good 
Snail.” 

“And what will you do for new clothes ?” 

“I care nothing about new clothes. I would 


Adventures of Pinocchio 231 

sell the rags I have on in order to help her. 
Go, Snail, and be quick. Return in two days and 
I hope to be able to give you something more. 
Until now I have worked to keep my daddy. 
Henceforth I shall work more hours to keep my 
good mamma also. Farewell, Snail. I shall 
look for you in two days.” 

The Snail, contrary to her usual habit, began 
to run like a lizard in the dog-days of August. 
When Pinocchio returned home his papa asked : 
“Where are your new clothes, Pinocchio 
“I did not buy any, daddy. Patience! I 
will buy them another time.” 

That evening Pinocchio, instead of sitting 
up until ten o’clock, sat up until after mid- 
night, and instead of making eight rush-baskets 
he made sixteen. Then he went to bed and 
fell asleep. And in sleep he seemed to see as in 
a dream the beautiful Fairy, all smiling and 
radiant, who, after having given him an affec- 
tionate kiss, said to him, ‘‘Brave Pinocchio! 
Thanks to your good heart, I forgive you all 
your wrong doings. Boys who lovingly assist 
their parents in their needs and in their sick- 
nesses deserve great affection although they 
may not be models of good judgment. Be wise 
for the future.” 


232 


The Marvellous 


Here the dream ended, and Pinocchio woke 
up with his eyes wide open. 

Imagine his astonishment when, on waking, 
he found that he was no longer a wooden puppet 
— but that he had become a real boy, like all 
the others. He looked around, and instead of 
the straw walls of a hut, he saw a beautiful room, 
well ordered and furnished with simplicity. 
Jumping out of bed, he found fine new clothes, 
a new cap, and a pair of leather boots which 
fitted him exactly. 

As soon as he had dressed himself he naturally 
put his hands into his pockets, and he took out 
a small ivory purse on which were written these 
words: “The Fairy with the Blue Hair returns 
the forty cents to her dear Pinocchio, and thanks 
him for his good heart.” Opening the purse, 
instead of forty copper cents he found forty 
shining gold sequins, new from the mint. 

Then he happened to look in the looking- 
glass, and it seemed to him that he was some 
other person. He did not see the usual figure 
of a wooden puppet. He saw the image of a 
lively, intelligent boy, with brown hair, blue 
eyes, and a happy face, a face like an Easter 
day of roses. 

In the midst of this procession of marvels, 


Adventures of Pinocchio 233 

Pinocchio scarcely knew whether it was all 
really true or whether he was in Dreamland. 

‘‘And my daddy, where is he.?” cried Pinoc- 
chio, and running into the next room he found 
Gepetto, merry and lively and as robust as when 
he was young. He had resumed his profession 
of carving in wood, and was designing a beautiful 
frame, rich in foliage and flowers and miniature 
heads of various animals. 

“Dear papa,” cried Pinocchio, “do explain 
to me all this sudden change. How do you 
account for it ?” And he threw his arms around 
his father’s neck and covered him with kisses. 

“It is your reward,” said Gepetto. 

“ Why my reward .? ” asked Pinocchio. 

“Because when boys, turning from the bad, 
become good, they have the power to give a new 
and smiling aspect to the entire household.” 

“And the old wooden Pinocchio! Where 
has he hidden himself?” 

“There he is!” replied Gepetto, and pointed 
out to him a big wooden puppet leaning against 
a chair with its head hanging down on one side, 
its arms dangling, its legs crossed and bent half 
over, so that it seemed a miracle that it could 
stand up at all. 

Pinocchio turned to look at it, and after scan- 


234 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


ning it closely, he said to himself with great 
satisfaction: 

‘^How funny I was, when I was a puppet I 
And how glad I am that I have become a real 
boy!’’ 


NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR 
MOTHERS AND TEACHERS 


The Marvellous Adventures ofPinocchio are full of ** seed- 
thoughts/* ethical points that should not be passed over 
with the mere pleasure of reading. Every child is pre- 
paring for the great battle of life where he must stand alone 
and be an independent citizen, using his own initiative 
for better or for worse. A child is never ready to act alone, 
he is never ready to stand independently, until he has learned 
to obey those few simple laws prepared and enforced by 
a great and benevolent Providence for the common good. 
A child is never a good citizen as long as a rod must be 
held over him to make him do right. “Will you be good, 
my little laddie, because you are compelled to it, like a 
slave ? Or will you be good because you choose to be ? 
These are the questions ever before the mother and teacher. 
A little careful discussion of an ethical question with a child 
is often an “ounce of prevention” which is worth more 
than a “pound of cure.” 

Chapter I. Compare the stick of wood which could 
“laugh and cry like a baby** with the golden dogs guarding 
the palace of Ulysses. What is to be thought of the people 
who called a good old man “ Mr. Cherry ” because he had 
a “purple nose?” George Washington said: “Look not 
upon the blemishes of another.” 

Chapter II. Good old Gepetto had a yellow wig and 
was sensitive about it. Was it polite to call him Polendina ? 

Chapter III. Gepetto’s home, its simplicity compared 

ns 


236 


The Marvellous 


with the humble cottage of Robert Burns and Lincoln’s 
cabin. Contrast with the palaces of unhappy kings. The 
joy of Gepetto in his humble work, the artist’s joy, 
“To create like a God — to hover over the shapeless and 
see it take form.” The childishness of the two old men 
who call each other names and then shake hands and 
“make up.” The audacity of Pinocchio in pulling oflF 
his father’s wig and sticking out his tongue at him. Is a 
child justified in being impudent and troublesome just 
because he is little ? The carefulness of Gepetto in cutting 
and recutting the wood. The people in the street who 
take up the cause of the naughty boy. The policeman who 
gives way to popular opinion and punishes the wrong 
person. 

Chapter IV. The Speaking Cricket, does it represent 
conscience, or is it ‘‘The Good Fairy” represented by all 
good mothers ? 

Chapter V. Does Pinocchio when hungry care more for 
his papa ? Compare with animals that become tame 
while taking food. 

Chapter VI. The old man who poured water on Pinoc- 
chio; was he justified in doing it ? 

Chapter VII. The self-pity of Pinocchio — his long 
speech — do children “run on” in that fashion ? Gepetto 
listened. Did he say a word about his unjust imprison- 
ment ? What was his chief concern ? What point in 
Pinocchio’s speech did he remember ? Gepetto’s action 
— giving up his breakfast — was he justified in doing it ? 

Chapter VIII. Was Gepetto justified in giving Pinocchio 
new feet ? Compare the neat operation with the operations 
of oculists and other surgeons in hospitals. Compare 
“I look exactly like a gentleman!” with Gepetto’s reply, 
“I was warm enough without it.” Compare Gepetto’s 
delicacy with Pinocchio’s crudeness. “Pinocchio under- 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


237 


stood’* — could he really understand? What do these 
little touches of sensitiveness and affection in Pinocchio 
indicate. Are they the “budding moments” of a developed 
character ? 

Chapter IX. “Fantastic schemes and fancies ran in his little 
brain.” “To-day I want to learn to read; to-morrow I shall 
learn to write — the day after I shall learn to use numbers.” 
Is a child’s mind usually full of air-castles ? Are air- 
castles dangerous ? Compare Pinocchio’s impatient ideas 
of getting an education quickly and out of books with 
Froebel’s “Learn to do by doing” and with the long, patient, 
careful study of inventors like Edison, Fulton, Palissy. 
Pinocchio wanted his “education” so that he could “earn 
money.” Compare with Froebel’s idea of the uses of 
education. “To-day I will go to hear the fifes and 
to-morrow I will go to school.” Does the author intend 
that it is better, in this case, for the child to follow his own 
leading? Was it right for “the boy” to call Pinocchio a 
“clever blockhead” and taunt him because he wore a 
“ flowered paper jacket,” etc ? 

Chapter X. Puppet-shows. In what great classics are 
they mentioned ? What peoples have cared most for them ? 
The puppets are pulled by strings to make them act. See 
“Don Quixote,” — Scribner’s School Reading Series. Does 
the author of “Pinocchio” intend to represent all stupid 
people, who act from no inner leadings, as puppets ? (See the 
Century magazine for June, 1908, Herford’s “ Puppet 
Singer.”) The love of puppets for one another — how they 
are all cut after one pattern. (See Herford’s “The Gentle 
Art of Illustrating ” — Scribners.) Let the children cut paste- 
board puppets and make miniature representations of scenes 
in life. 

Chapter XL The tenderness of Fire-Eater. The bravery 
of Pinocchio. 


The Marvellous 


238 

Chapter XII. The Fox and the Cat. What does the 
author intend to represent by the “Field of Miracles ?” 

Chapter XIII. “The affront.^* 

Chapter XV. The Beautiful Girl with the blue hair — 
what the author means by the “blue hair.” Why it was 
necessary to the artistic value of the story to hang the 
puppet. 

Chapter XVI. “The barbered dog;” we often see French 
poodles peculiarly shaven in spots and having a ribbon tied 
above the tassel at the end of the tail. “Whipped cream 
and cakes” as a lining for a carriage for a poor little hungry 
boy. Our dog, Max, makes friends with the baker whose 
waggon is lined with pies. My translator has sent me 
samples of the cakes mentioned in the text. They are 
called “Savoiardi” and resemble our “lady-fingers” and 
are covered with cream-coloured chocolate. In America 
the carriage would doubtless have been lined with cream 
caramels or ice-cream. Why did the Fairy have the 
carriage lined with dainties ? The three doctors, — which 
one told the truth ? 

Chapter XVII. Taking the medicine. Do children act 
as Pinocchio did? Does every child’s “nose” grow long 
when he tells a lie ? The author’s meaning. 

Chapter XVIII. The cat’s paw. Was Pinocchio excus- 
able for believing in the Fox and the Cat after all the evi- 
dence he had that he himself had bitten off a cat’s paw ? 
What shall we think of a boy who runs into the same trap 
continually ? Has a child a right to the evidence of his own 
senses ? How far are we justified in being stupid ? 

Chapter XIX. Did the Judge do right in putting Pinocchio 
in prison for being robbed ? What does the author mean ? 

Chapter XX. Pinocchio finds a “horrible serpent In 
the way.” Is there always a serpent in the road for the 
irresolute ? “The serpent exploded with laughter.” The 


Adventures of Pinocchio 239 

flimsiness of fears. Was Pinocchio justified in stealing the 
grapes because he was hungry ? 

Chapter XXI. Was it clever in the farmer to put a boy 
on the watch for robbers after catching him stealing ? 

Chapter XXII. The polecat, how a polecat looks, 
valuable fur, habits. You give a polecat the whole road,*’ 
says a celebrated naturalist. Why ? Melampo compared 
with a real watch-dog. This chapter is a most important 
one, as it opens the way for instruction in political duties, 
avoiding compacts with knaves, the taking of fees and 
bribes, and ‘‘commissions.** I have known an instance 
of children being bribed with candy and ice-cream to 
induce them to give false evidence against a teacher whose 
position was wanted by political intriguers. Children “will 
not tell on one another** because it it not “honourable.** 
To what extent is this “for the common good’* ? 

Chapter XXIII. The death of the Fairy. How to destroy 
“a good Fairy.** The Pigeon, is it “the good Fairy** come 
to life in another form ? The chick-peas, why they wasted 
good. The patient search of Gepetto. 

Chapter XXIV. “I was not born to work.** Compare 
with “I come among you as one who serves.** Does it 
show good taste to be lazy, to live without labour, to live 
on money earned by other people, to exclude working people 
from our parlours, to invite only the rich, or the elegant, or 
the “cultured,** or the fashionable? Have old people or 
the infirm “a right to beg**? What shall be said of a 
country which allows the old and infirm to beg? The 
rights of the aged and infirm. Is there any country where 
the aged are provided for ? Mothers should make a great 
point of instructing children concerning the rights of the 
aged and the poor. (See “Cuore** by De Amicis.) Pinoc- 
chio gets exceedingly good ethical training from the poor 
working people. 


240 


The Marvellous 


Chapter XXV. Why the “little girl** was suddenly 
transformed into a woman. Why a puppet always remains 
a puppet. Compare with the hardshell crab that must shed 
its skin occasionally in order to grow. 

Chapter XXVI. Pinocchio at school. His comrades 
who “roar” at his ugly personality. The sensitiveness 
of people who are homely. Is a child to blame for being 
so vulgar and bad-blooded as to notice defects in others ? 
Is it possible for a person of good blood to make fun of 
the personal appearance of another or even to notice it ? 
Name several distinguished people who were very defective 
in personal appearance but of great good to the public. 
The practice of conferring respectful attention on the 
rich, the fashionable, the person of “pleasing personality,” 
the celebrated, is becoming too deadly and rank in this 
country. It is high time to crush it and stamp it as the 
serpent it is. Pinocchio’s resentment. Was he justified 
in kicking back I What Roosevelt says about the treatment 
of bullies. “Too many companions.” Compare Pinocchio 
with people of few companions. Which saves time ? 
“Cease to be whirled around.” 

Chapter XXVIII. Alidoro. 

Chapter XXIX. The Snail. Why she was so slow. Why 
the food she brought was of plaster. Was there any like- 
ness in this to Pinocchio’s conduct ? 

Chapter XXX. The bad companion. 

Chapter XXXI. The Country of Playthings. The 
translator says that this may be called, also, the Land of 
Children’s Toys, or the Land of Delights, or the Country 
of Simpletons. Is a child justified in playing all the time ? 
Should he have some simple duties, some really hard work, 
every day ? Would you rather build a really solid little 
play-house that can be of use or a mere shack or shanty ? 

Chapter XXXII. The Oily Driver (see Franklin’s 


Adventures of Pinocchio 


241 


Turning the Grindstone,” also the Flatterer in Pil- 
grim’s Progress).” How important it is for children to learn 
to avoid the “Oily Driver.” Here are some Oily Drivers: 
The man who is friendly that he may borrow your money; 
the man who gives you a big dinner or a carriage-ride that 
he may secure your vote at the polls; the man who votes 
your way in the State Legislature that he may secure 
your influence toward electing him to the United States 
Legislature. Why was it necessary for Pinocchio to 
begin hearing with donkey’s ears ? 

Chapter XXXIII. The Manager. Why did the author 
intentionally make him use “bad English” or “bad Italian.” 
The translator says that it was to show him in his true light 
— an uneducated showman. The lesson of this chapter 
is most important. It shows the result of being persistently 
dull and not open to suggestion. 

Chapter XXXIV. The escape. “You have reckoned 
without the Fairy.” How can a child reckon “without the 
Fairy”? If the Fairy — the mother, ofttimes — persists, 
she will win. 

Chapter XXXV. The meeting of Pinocchio with his 
father. “Give me your hand, daddy, and take care not to 
slip!” The transference of responsibility from the father 
to the son, the turning point in Pinocchio’s life. Is 
responsibility necessary to the making of a “real” boy? 

Chapter XXXVI. Why is Pinocchio at last allowed to 
become a “real” boy ? Are all children just puppets until 
they “find themselves,” learn to care for others? Is a 
man or a woman justified in being just a puppet ? 


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